J-Walk Blog
Encyclopedia
The J-Walk Blog was a weblog, or blog, created and maintained by John Walkenbach of Tucson, Arizona
, United States
. Mainly a daily-updated list of links to strange, interesting, or wacky things found on the internets, it had a loyal and vocal cadre of regular visitors and its comment section was a lively and active forum for debate on a wide array of topics.
application, and the proprietor of J-Walk & Associates, an Excel consulting firm. The company's title is partially tongue-in-cheek, as Walkenbach freely admits that he is the only 'associate.' Walkenbach is also the creator of several Excel add-ins and an accomplished amateur photographer.
Walkenbach resides in Tucson, Arizona with his long-time female companion, who is identified only as 'Pamn.' The spelling is the result of her attempt to add distinction to an otherwise common name.
The links chosen for inclusion are eclectic and vary widely, but several themes have become apparent among the otherwise random assortment. Walkenbach's love for guitar
s and banjo
s were recurring motifs, as are his contempt for religion, e-mail 'spam
', and Digital Rights Management
(DRM). Walkenbach has also created several parody webpages, of which The 3rd Annual Nigerian EMail Conference is best known.
attacks were discouraged and profanity was forbidden. Topics discussed ran the gamut from outright silliness to serious theological disputes, although the 1000-character limit imposed by the blogmaster often limited the depth of the discussion. The blog claimed to be "Reducing corporate productivity" by keeping employees entertained and distracted from their appropriate duties.
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Mainly a daily-updated list of links to strange, interesting, or wacky things found on the internets, it had a loyal and vocal cadre of regular visitors and its comment section was a lively and active forum for debate on a wide array of topics.
The blogmaster
John Walkenbach (sometimes referred to as "Mr. Spreadsheet") is an author of computer books, primarily dealing with Microsoft Office Excel, a spreadsheetSpreadsheet
A spreadsheet is a computer application that simulates a paper accounting worksheet. It displays multiple cells usually in a two-dimensional matrix or grid consisting of rows and columns. Each cell contains alphanumeric text, numeric values or formulas...
application, and the proprietor of J-Walk & Associates, an Excel consulting firm. The company's title is partially tongue-in-cheek, as Walkenbach freely admits that he is the only 'associate.' Walkenbach is also the creator of several Excel add-ins and an accomplished amateur photographer.
Walkenbach resides in Tucson, Arizona with his long-time female companion, who is identified only as 'Pamn.' The spelling is the result of her attempt to add distinction to an otherwise common name.
The blog
Unlike many weblogs, the J-Walk Blog was not a personal diary. The life and happenings of the blogmaster were occasionally, though lightly, addressed. The blog's subtitle is "Things that may or may not interest you", and the content is true to this description. Walkenbach posted links, often with brief commentary, to strange, interesting, or unusual web pages that he encountered or that were suggested by readers. It is a deceptively simple concept, and not entirely unique, but the results were an oddly engaging and, to many, addictive form of entertainment and intellectual stimulation.The links chosen for inclusion are eclectic and vary widely, but several themes have become apparent among the otherwise random assortment. Walkenbach's love for guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s and banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
s were recurring motifs, as are his contempt for religion, e-mail 'spam
E-mail spam
Email spam, also known as junk email or unsolicited bulk email , is a subset of spam that involves nearly identical messages sent to numerous recipients by email. Definitions of spam usually include the aspects that email is unsolicited and sent in bulk. One subset of UBE is UCE...
', and Digital Rights Management
Digital rights management
Digital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
(DRM). Walkenbach has also created several parody webpages, of which The 3rd Annual Nigerian EMail Conference is best known.
The culture
The readers of the J-Walk Blog were a loyal and vocal group from around the globe. Frequent commenters have gotten to know one another, and Walkenbach has even met with some of them in person. The readers addressed the links and each other in the comments section, formerly a lively forum for debate and discussion. While the discourse could become heated, ad hominemAd hominem
An ad hominem , short for argumentum ad hominem, is an attempt to negate the truth of a claim by pointing out a negative characteristic or belief of the person supporting it...
attacks were discouraged and profanity was forbidden. Topics discussed ran the gamut from outright silliness to serious theological disputes, although the 1000-character limit imposed by the blogmaster often limited the depth of the discussion. The blog claimed to be "Reducing corporate productivity" by keeping employees entertained and distracted from their appropriate duties.