Some really great answers so far, I will add mine if anyone wants to read, however really enjoyed reading them so far
Also [MENTION=46754]Robotics[/MENTION] I love the fact the show has inspired you to work in the animation industry, that is awesome and I guess is something that will always be special about The Simpsons for you
Here's mine anyway, if anyone fancies a read
1. Can you remember the first ever episode you saw?
Nope, it may have been Simpsons Roasting or possibly something like Bart gets an F or one of the early season 2 episodes, I'm pretty sure I was watching episodes in season one when the show first aired here in the UK as I was only little and we didn't have Sky at the time yet my uncle used to record The Simpsons on Sky One every Sunday for me (Yep, VHS tapes) and I absolutely loved the show, I would also buy the video tapes from Woolworths (now defunct UK shop) and watch them over and over, which I still do now, except they're DVD's.
2. Since you was first a fan of the show, did you ever go off it for a while only to return to it? (did any other shows become a temporary replacement?)
I wouldn't say I went off it but I did drift for a while when Family Guy came out, it took me ages to give Family Guy a go as friends were all telling me how great it was but I was too stubborn to let anything take over The Simpsons for me ha, anyway I did eventually give Family Guy a go and really liked the show (I have the first 10 seasons on DVD) so I did get quite wrapped up in that for a while however I did still like Simpsons and did still watch it but it was just lesser at this point, anyway it didn't take long for me to miss The Simpsons and realise which is the better show for me and now I feel although Family Guy is great and credit due where it's due, it's not a patch on The Simpsons by any means, I feel that without the niche of the shock value it often comes out with it doesn't have much substance where as The Simpsons doesn't need that, has been consistent (to the degree of always being successful on prime time TV) and it's just much better in every way, so it's kind of like that for me
3. Would you consider yourself a fan of the show today or only the earlier seasons?
Yes, I love the show today and enjoy watching it massively, like most I prefer the earlier seasons by a long mile but I still enjoy the seasons today and I do feel they get way too much stick than they should.
4. Despite the criticism the show often gets, what do you think made you stick with the show?
It's still good, it's that simple really. They do often come up with good gags, it's witty, they're still creative and I love The Simpsons. I also love the characters and how extensive it is, each character is individual and has a lot of thought put into them, even the lesser known characters and one off characters who often become memorable, the town is fantastic and so extensive, everything from Moe's Tavern, The Power plant, Elementary etc.. it's just one of the best shows in our generation and ever really, I'm a huge fan of other shows too but there's no doubt The Simpsons are special as their longevity and success very clearly shows.
5. Which character were you a fan of first and is this character still your favourite today?
Bart and he's still my favourite from the family but there are so many secondary characters and even rarer characters I love so much, so where as Bart is still one of my favourites, he's not as stand out due to my love of so many characters.
6. What positives can you say about the show that makes it different to other shows?
Not only is it iconic it set the boundaries for many other shows to follow, before The Simpsons they were very dubious about putting the show on TV as they never thought an animated sitcom could be so successful, specially during prime time TV, The Flintstones was the last one along this line and that was so long ago before The Simpsons launched however the show ended up going 30 years and they never thought it would get past one or two seasons. We'd have no South Park, Bob's Burgers, Family Guy, Beavis and Butthead, King of the Hill, Rocko's Modern Life, Ren & Stimpy, all those shows that have that adult appeal (admittedly Rocko and Ren & Stimpy weren't quite seen as adult until people saw the adult in humour in them) but The Simpsons opened the doors for all these great shows. Also, another thing about The Simpsons is the extensive cast and how much work they put into each character, not one character is half done and there's barely any random faces to fill up crowds, where as other shows usually have the main cast, then a few secondary characters and that's about it, same with places, there's usually only a few familiar places in other shows where as The Simpsons are so extensive in their cast and town, it's like a whole world and it's awesome.
7. If the show was to finally wrap up, would you feel content with the 30 year run they've had?
I would, as I've said above I do feel the show gets way too much criticism and most of this is probably because they set the bar so high in their earlier seasons they became their own competition, having a whole DVD collection of the 30 seasons I would be content with watching from season one to season 30.
8. Is there anything as a fan you would love to do? (for example go to Florida or meet the cast)
I'd love to have a beer in Moe's and visit the Universal Studio's at Orlando in Florida, I'd also love to meet the cast and writers and go to a Q&A with them, like how we see the comic cons in the US, I'd love them to do a little UK tour and visit all areas of the UK, London, Leeds, Dublin, Glasgow, all the popular and easy to get to places where this would be a success.
9. Has the show taught you anything positive that you take from it?
Not really but it does have great family values which I love.
10. Does the fact the characters have yellow skin add to the shows appeal for you?
It does yeah, when I first saw The Simpsons I loved the quirky animation, the way they moved and animated, something that is loss in the digital era of animation, however the yellow skin is very unique and I love it, I'd say it does play a big part in the show because it looks lovely to watch which is always a bonus.
11. Last but not least, what does The Simpsons mean to you?
It's brought me many years of enjoyable quality viewing, it's been a big part of my life since I was so young and without it not only would I massively miss it but it would be hard to replace that. I'm fine with when the show wraps up as this will be at the point where the writers and the team feel they've done all they can with the show and we've still got so many seasons and hours of quality viewing that you can never get bored of it as when you've watched season one to season 30 (or whatever season we're up to at that point) it'll be fresh to watch season one again so it's great.