3wyl Kindly agreed to talk about
, how it all happened and more 
Could you please introduce yourself and Project Comment to us?
I'll start with introducing ProjectComment as that is easier for me.
ProjectComment is a group of many projects centred on giving and receiving constructive comments. We offer members of deviantART a lot of opportunities to get comments, give comments, participate in comment projects, win points, get featured and much, much more.
As for myself, I'm just a member on deviantART much like yourself, currently volunteering for the General Photography Gallery as well as the Chats & Forums. Offline, I am a student studying for my English Literature degree.
What inspired you to start Project Comment?
I remember browsing deviantART often when I first joined, finding pieces that caught my attention and commenting on them. There were so many brilliant pieces, and so many pieces that had no comments or feedback at all, I just thought it was an utter shame. Most of us would really appreciate some kind of recognition, feedback, acknowledgement, especially with something like art where most of us pour our heart and soul into it. I guess that's how ProjectComment was born.
Before starting Project Comment did you ask anyone for advice or input?
Interesting question. I was an admin of a critique club back then, so I already had an idea of what I wanted for ProjectComment. I did ask for advice and input in terms of the name of the group, I think, partly because I'm never really good at naming things. I'm sure I asked for more help along the way, but as it was over four years ago now, I really can't remember.
How much did other projects on dA influence you when you started Project Comment?
Honestly, back in 2009, I wasn't much into the project scene. I was more into commenting and getting involved in the community through news article features. Heck, :devgroups: didn't even exist back then. The club I was an admin of influenced the group to a degree, in terms of the concept... and I suppose I stole a few ideas here and there.
However, at the start of the group, we were just a club, and we didn't use the gallery or favourites or anything like that. We posted news articles and hosted one or two projects. Nowadays, we have a lot more projects, and we utilise the tools available on the :devgroups: platform.
Did creating a group help the progress of Project Comment?
We converted ProjectComment from a club (normal) account into a group, so it wasn't 'created', as such. It has its advantages and disadvantages to a normal account. We used to post articles through the normal account, and those would frequently receive a lot of
s and even appear at the bottom of dA in the footer often. When we converted to :devgroups:, we lost the ability to do that. We didn't have Sta.sh, and the journals didn't appear in the News section. Correct me if I'm wrong, though. It's been a while. Regardless, we experienced a good few many dips, but I would say that, overall, :devgroups: have helped us progress to a certain degree. I mean, we have 4000+ members, if that counts for anything.
What have you learned during this project?
I've learned that people would rather receive comments than give them.
I guess that's understandable. It takes a lot of effort to give comments regularly and frequently and we all have our own personal lives. I guess the main thing I've learned is that doing this sort of thing (being a founder of the group, commenting, etc.) is a lot of work that requires the cooperation of a lot of people to really make it into a success. The project relies on people to constantly give, take part, and keep paying it forward. Many people don't do this, while there are others that burn themselves out giving, almost.
It's not all a negative thing, though. I've met many people through the project, as have others no doubt, and I think it's amazing how many people are willing to help others out in the community. The acts aren't necessarily big, but they create a profound impact.
Have you run into any stumbling blocks?
Plenty of times! I think that if you don't run into a stumbling block at all over the course of a year or more, then there's probably something wrong.
But yeah, I've ran into my share of stumbling blocks with the group. Many people leave, and it's a constant struggle to keep the activity up in the group, both in terms of members and admins. There was a time where we experienced a very strong dip and decline.. the group basically had no activity and it was dying. I was very tempted to end the group there and then, but other people really supported the vision. Because of them, the group still survives today and I can never be thankful enough for that.
If you were to start your project all over, is there anything you would you do differently?
There are a few things I would have done differently. I would have planned the projects, organised and delegated with better efficiency. I think one of the main problems we run into is that our projects can sometimes take a while to set up and host and to keep it running at that. So.. yeah, better organisation, a clearer idea of the direction the project should go in, and willing people to execute it.
It's hard to say. There are so many things that could have been done differently, but, at the end of the day, we can't go back to the past and there's little point bringing it all up. I'd rather just keep trundling along, and doing the best we can, really.
What advice would you give someone considering starting their own project?
I would seriously encourage you to think deeply about your project. Go through every step of the process, think about what you want out of your project and the steps that will take you there. Plan your project well and make sure you have a back-up option. The main thing is to not jump into it, but try and plan for the different situations and scenarios that you could stumble into. Lastly, really question yourself whether you have the time, energy, commitment, effort and more to dedicate yourself to a project and to really make it flourish.
Is there anything else you'd like to tell us?
Just a massive thanks to you for interviewing me about ProjectComment and for everyone who have gotten this far in reading the interview. It's a great honour and I appreciate the support. I'd also like to praise the community. There are some downsides, but the community is an awesome one, and I'm lucky to be here.
Stay devious!
