In a recent interview The Guardian described you as "in charge of editorial content for cult online community B3ta.com" - what does this mean?
I preferred it when they described B3ta as a "puerile digital arts community." Ok - basically there's a lot of people out there who like making stupid web stuff.

Rob Manuel - (Photo by Weebl)

The deal is they send it to us, we have a look and if we like it we write about it in the newsletter. We send this to about 70,000 people so it's in people's interest to send us stuff.

As well as being entertainment, the newsletter is read by a lot of TV, magazine and ad agency people. So if something is good it has a habit of reaching other media - or being nicked for an ad campaign.

Sounds like an unusual job...
Well it's not really a job. No one pays me for it. But that's the wonder of the web isn't it?

Why do it?
I like it. I love seeing people's projects. Not agency stuff - but the stuff people dream up in the pub to make their mates laugh.

How many people subscribe to the B3ta newsletter?
About 70,000. With about another 40,000 who read it on the site. I was reading some dotcom b******* the other day saying that each subscriber is worth $100, making B3ta have a value of $11million. Er.. those were the days. Ha ha. We'd sell it for 50p.

B3ta.com is very popular - what does this mean? Cultural significance?
a.. There's a lot of bored people in the office who need entertaining
b.. If you've got a good idea and you're prepared to put the donkey work in then you've got a good chance of succeeding
c.. People like us. Er...

Are you a cult leader?
I'm David Koresh without the Jazz fusion.

How does B3ta make money?
It's not for profit. However, we take donations to cover our costs. This is essential as we use a lot of bandwidth and I'm certainly not going to pay for it.

You're at a party - how do you quickly describe what you do?
Remember that Introducing Monday thing with the ginger fingers? That was me. People normally know that or one of the rude quizzes.

Which is the favourite stupid web thing you've done?
My favourite bit of client work has to be the discosquirrels.com project for Lastminute. Mainly for the song writing really. I spent a lot of my teenage life writing crap songs, with everyone telling me that they were crap. I had enormous satisfaction in being able to sell one to a client.

P45 Generator - for BBC 7 - Rob Manuel

So, you enjoy your work?
Yeah I enjoy it. Mostly. As long as the jobs keep coming in, and I don't have to return to fulltime employment.

Tell us about your working day - do you have a working day?
Not really. Simply depends on what job is on at the moment.

How old are you?
Never you mind.

You've now got a radio show (Resonance FM - London). Why?
They got in touch asking to do an interview, I turned up and they said "Do you fancy doing a slot?" and I said, "Yeah." Basically life is more interesting doing stuff like this yourself rather than watching others from the sidelines.

Your favourite journey? Tell us about it?
The short walk from my house to the nearest pub. The anticipation of a lovely cold glass on beer on a hot summers day.

Your songs...
I think of them more as jingles really. I don't have the patience for writing long songs, they bore me. I don't like padding, so I try and just write two lines of a chorus and be done with it.

Tell me a secret.
I've got a tail.

What's the best thing you've learnt from the users of the B3TA message board?
The power of the catchphrase is not to be ignored.

Are you rich?
No.

Where do you live now?
Kentish Town. The best place to live in London I reckon. And so do the tramps.

How famous are you?
I'm not famous. But a lot of people have seen stuff I've made.

Do you, deep down, consider yourself to be a serious artist - in a medium not yet recognised by the mainstream?
Don't we all darling. I'm just trying to bring opera to the masses.

What would you be doing if there was no internet?
Well, I'd go and do something people were interested in then! It's much more fun having people like your stuff and react to it, rather than ignoring it.

Do you write serious songs?
They are serious. I don't know why you're laughing at them.

Again: do you write serious songs?
Yeah, but B3ta isn't really the right place for them.

Are you happy?
Sometimes. Are you?

Are you a geek?
I'm geek on my father's side of the family.

Are computers art?
Are computers art? Huh? Is a paintbrush art? Nope, it's a tool.

Ideally - what would you be doing now?
Sleeping.

Do you eat meals in front of the computer?
Nope. My butler insists that I dine in the west wing.

Your current family life - married?
Girlfriend and cat. Oh, and the butler of course.

Do you have any celebrity fans?
I interviewed Miles Hunt of The Wonder Stuff for .net magazine the other day and he mentioned that his girlfriend knows all the words to the "I love you kitten" song and sings them down the answer phone to him. He said, "So you're to blame."

Still from Elephant - Rob Manuel

What makes you laugh?
My girlfriend. I spend much of my time making her impersonate cabbies, the mad lady down the road and a Polish friend of her mothers.

A favourite book?
'How to have a number 1 - the easy way' by The KLF. Entirely useless but utterly inspirational.

Favourite website?
Istockphoto.com - fantastic source of royalty free images.

Proudest moment?
Having the Birmingham song played on BRMB radio.

What has life taught you? Do you have a motto?
Don't procrastinate - do it.

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