| I feel left out now, not seeing any comment from me about your
brief departure. Not that I need to explain myself, but I assumed you'd be
inundated with compliments and sad farewells; and it was nice to read the
accolades.
You've mentioned many blogs on your site, but yours is the only one I visit regularly. I was thinking about suggesting that you write a weekly blog instead, including your occasional observations, which have been a delight to read; it's a pleasure to read your brief sensible opinions about current topics. And your last sentence of today's entry: "The lawn won't need mowing for another two weeks." Hilarious. I'm looking forward to your continued entries. Your effort is appreciated. |
| Keep on keepin' on. I recommend your site to everybody I know. |
| kinda feel awkward about goading you into re-starting your page but totally uplifted that you have :O) it's a good job too since i already finished going through two month's worth of archives. tried that boing thing, it sucked - we know what we like and we like what you do. but like that guy wrote, as long as you keep enjoying it, we will too, not vice versa... see you tomorrow. (wow that's a good feeling) |
| I'm delighted, I had decided to wait to see
if my initial despair wore off and by 3pm (I'm a limey Brit in a rain soaked
town called Swindon, famous for it's crazy roundabout (http://www.swindonweb.com/life/lifemagi0.htm))
I found myself just wandering over to the j-walk blog for old times sake; heavy
of heart, indeed it went so heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame
the earth seemed to me a sterile promontory, this most excellent canopy the air,
this brave oe'er hanging firmament, this majestic roof fretted with golden fire,
why it appearth'd nothing to me but a foul and pestilent congragation of vapour....
hang on, he's back! Hooray!
Like the person who said he's renowned throughout his office for the crazy and quality links he sends around, my reputation (with credit of course) is restored, a ripple of a cheer ran through the office when I changed my MSN name from j-walk.com/blog - NOOOO!!!! to j-walk.com/blog - YEHHHHH!!!!! Good to see you back, I'll fight the cries of attention slut from within ;) |
| For a while, I thought I'd have to start doing actual work at my job with your blog closure. Of course, the decision is always yours to stop, and I respect that. A man's lawn needs mowing, afterall. |
| Thanks for reconsidering blog. We were very sad at the news you were leaving. Sorry but most of the blogs you suggested are lame. Welcome Back. |
| I'll be happy to do your lawn if I'm in the neighbourhood. Heck, I would even do it the hard way, with a pair of scissors :-). Anyways, I'm glad you decided to continue j-walk.com/blog |
| Please keep the zebra facing forward. Long live J-Walk! |
| I am very busy trying to analyze why I am inordinately proud and giggly because my comment is top on the list..... Come to think of it, I've been trying to analyze the entire J-Walk phenomenon for 11 months now...It appears as though I am not alone.... now there is a validating thought! |
| jeez i miss a few days and damn - you almost folded up shop!! thank god you didn't or i would have been pissed!!! |
| Just wanted to say thanks for not ending it all, yours is the only site I go to every day. |
| Thank you, Thank you, thank you for resurrecting your blog back! My heart almost stopped yesterday when I saw your posting. The sad thing is that you say only 75 people sent you emails of their thoughts. Well, I wanted to make it 76. I've only been browsing your blog for about 4 months since a friend directed me towards it, but I'm so dedicated to your blog that I even check it Sunday mornings after Church to see your Sunday Quote! I've tried boingboing.net and it has nothing to yours. Your stories are always unique and the humor you add just makes everything all the better. Please don't scare your faithful followers like that again. If you need a break, just update once a day, but PLEASE don't leave us like that again! |
| I am very happy that you are continuing your blog. The j-walk blog was the first blog I came across a few months ago and I've really enjoyed it. Since I'm on the east coast, I usually see the updates in the afternoon here, it's a nice afternoon break, check out a couple interesting websites, forward some on to family and friends, it's become part of my routine. Anyway, I really enjoy your blog, your website and I've learned a ton from your books. |
| Thanks John. A lot!!! |
| What a difference a day makes, huh? I'm glad you are back. I was mad at myself for not telling more folks about your blog. |
| I didn't even get a chance yet to write a farewell email but
thankfully I didn't have to do that. But, that doesn't mean you deserve any less
words of encouragement. Yours is the only blog I ever have (and probably ever
will) check - it somehow transcends the doomed boringness and nerdiness that
comes with a regular blog. Anyway, I've read from week one - although I'm not
sure how I even found it anymore - and it's made my day to know that it truly
isn't ending.
PS - Yes, I was obsessive enough to keep checking your blog even the day after I knew you had posted your goodbye. |
| Good News! I would be lost without my daily read of J-Walk Blog. Very glad to hear it's back. How about a riding mower with wireless laptop? Then you could do both. |
| Super. Glad I checked back today. |
| I'm impressed! I want to make some smart-ass
comment but can't come up with one...
1) It's very true that you have a unique and outstanding blog. I'm glad people confirmed it in spades. It truly is a 'resource' - a jewel in the big pile of crap called the internet. 2) I hope it isn't a stone around your neck personally, something you dread doing. I know that feeling. I also know you're a smart and together enough guy to figure a way out of the drudgery if it becomes that. Even once-a-week JWalk is still a gift. 3) If there's a cookie that would make it more rewarding personally, let us know what it is. I don't think cash is part of your geist, but if that would help, I for one would gladly donate. Excuse me for insulting you if I just did. 4) I'm glad you're gonna keep doing whatever you decide to do. But I also understand. When you're ready to move on for whatever reason, you've got my support. In closing, I think you should trademark the term "JWalking" ... it's catchy and clever and you need something like that to compete with the oh-so-clever term "Boing Boing" .............. (whew, I did think up something slightly smart-ass.....) |
| I knew you'd be back. Consider me one of the thousands who didn't write when you announced ending your blog because we didn't know what to say or didn't want to admit how much your weblog means to us. Hey, I'd be happy with fewer updates, take some time off, just don't quit damnit. I just put you back as my homepage, my alternative http://www.nps.gov/yell/oldfaithfulcam.htm gets old fast. |
| If you hadn't come back I might have had to stop browsing the web at lunch. Your blog is very good. It's so damn clear, concise, and interesting. Thanks for changing your mind about quitting. |
|
I was out of the office yesterday so I saw that you were going to keep blogging before I saw the entry that you were calling it quits. I am happy to see that you will keep the Blog going and hope that you can find a manageable way to maintain the blog for a long time. While I disagree with your political views that sometimes creep into the Blog, yours is a favorite of mine. You always seem to find cool stuff out there and I enjoy reading your comments and posts. Thanks for keeping it alive. |
| Great news, John! There's just something about your blog that makes it stand out in the crowd. For one thing, it's easy on the eyes. You have a good sense for layout and you don't use weird colors. Your entries are short and concise. Some blogs just post a link and you don't know what it is till you get there. But best of all, your sense of humor always comes through. I don't know you of course, but somehow I know you'd be a good friend. |
| Fantastic! After getting the shock-news this morning after doing my daily visit to your blog, I just bumped over o your blog again and CHA-CHING BADA-BING! J-walk is back! Outstanding! Cool! Really love your site and glad you're back. |
| Your publication is very, very entertaining (and interesting, too). Thanks for staying the course! |
| Hi John. I'm pleased you reconsidered. I have purchased three
of your tomes (Excel formulas, VBA and Charts) and have visited your blog daily
for quite some time. I found the blog a great way to put a "personality" on the
author of these excellent books. While I was disappointed with your announcement
from yesterday, I couldn't figure out how you could spend so much time surfing
the web. I guess I wasn't surprised you had pulled the pin. I'm pleased you have
had a change of heart. Like one of your readers said, boing boing is over-rated.
I've tried it a couple of times and I find it too much work to get to
interesting web sites.
Welcome back. I guess I won't need to eliminate your site from my Firebird tabset (I switched to firebird/phoenix in February and haven't looked back since.) |
| Thanks John, The J-Walk blog bookmark is back at the top of my Frequent Visits folder. |
| I am glad others took the time to write you and entreat you not
to go. I agree with them, your blog is one of the best, mainly because it is
clear, concise, interesting, quirky and not over-done with 50 million side bars
and tons of tech/hacker speak (that only seems to exist to make the people using
the speak feel very special indeed).
One person said that when they read of your leaving they felt a sadness they would not have expected...i felt the same way. It had just become a part of my on-line life to check out J-Walk, and to think it was just going to fade away was a bummer indeed. I hope your decision to stay with it is one you really thought about, i wouldn't want this blog to become burdensome, as tho it is something you feel you have to do, as that will become a drag for you....obviously this blog is something you enjoyed doing, the evidence of that bringing many people to it on a daily basis. Please, keep having fun with it. So i guess i am saying i am glad you are sticking with it! I love coming here and seeing what you are up to on the net. Thanks for reconsidering. |
| Oh EXCELLENT!!!!!!! I tried looking at some of the other blogs you suggested but they were nothing compared to yours. Thanks!! And.. you know, any time you need a little encouragement... just ask. Now you see how many people read and love what you were doing. Don't you feel good about yourself now? |
| I am so pleased that you’ve decided to keep up your excellent work. As we’ve discussed before, your blog was a huge influence in the creation of my site, http://www.superfastcomputer.com. Although I haven’t been posting much lately myself, I never fail to visit your page. Every day. It’s like coffee for me, it is just that ingrained into my daily routine. Please consider slowing down, or perhaps taking summers off. But please, I beseech you—never let me see that horrific zebra’s ass on J-Walk again! |
| I haven't been this happy since they re-introduced Coke classic. Welcome back ! |
| I'm happy to see you chose not to discontinue J-walk. I attempt to read J-walk most days. Good luck in the future. |
| Live Long and Prosper John. |
| Thanks for turning the zebra around. I was so bummed when I read yesterday that you were quitting your blog. So happy to see you changed your mind. As a fairly new blogger, I can image how much time you put into it. By the way, I linked to your excellent article on what's wrong with product activation from a page I just posted today. http://graphicssoft.about.com/library/glossary/bldefproductactivation.htm |
| John, I'm glad you changed your mind and decided to keep going. I for one really enjoy your stuff and I often copy the links into a little column I write for my antique car club newsletter so they reach even more folks. There are several each month who email me and I send the urls so they don't have to type them in. The comments I get are very appreciative and I always credit your site as the source. So, see, you affect even more people than you think. Thanks for making my days a little brighter. |
| Cool.........j-walk is back.......for at least two weeks anyway. :-) |
| I look forward to and enjoy your blog after a hard (well, mostly boring) day working for the white man's dollar. It shows intelligence and humor without the abrasive design and attitude of most other blogs. Thanks for the reprieve. |
| When I read your "this is the end" message last night, I thought to myself that you had acted like a true artist. I wondered if you were going to do the same with the Spreadsheet page. I said to myself, "No he can't do that!" and figured oh well, what the hell, I'll be alright, I have the books. Later that evening I went to visit Boingboing, perused the site for approximately 30 seconds. That was enough for me. I went to bed wondering why the heck you had decided to put an end to the J-Walk Blog. Tonight I visit your site as I do every evening before calling it a day and I was so happy to see your blog was coming back that I decided to write this message. I really am glad that the J-Walk Blog is coming back. |
| I was surprised and happy that you are staying, your blog has become a daily necessity for me. You have a great writing voice. Now if only Bill Watterson would bring Calvin & Hobbes back.... |
| Your blog is one of my most valuable. Whenever I open a blog, I will add the link of your blog first in "my favorites". Don't ever think of "quit", think of maintaining your blog for 10 years or more, that would absolutely be a legend. You never know how important your daily blogging is to your readers like me, we can't suffer the loss, you neither, you don't have 13000visitors, that's ok, entertaining 1000 people everyday is one of the greatest enterprise. - A reader in China who has been recommending J-walk to friends since his first stop. |
| What a delight this morning, I received an email from my boyfriend telling me j-walk is back ! See.... I was really just an "au revoir" ! I read the comments and I like the one that suggests you trademark the term j-walking. Just forget about the lawnmower for a while ... and keep entertaining us, for as long as you enjoy doing it. Thanks again, keep on the excellent work. |
| Welcome back and thanks for your work! |
| Just logged on to find your departure notice
and subsequent retraction. I can understand that maintaining the blog is a huge
workload and has to end someday I agree very much with the comments posted by
other readers. Don't underestimate your popularity, friend. I visit your site
each logon, often before checking my own email I find the blog material human,
interesting, intelligent and ethical.
Other sites spend squillions trying to achieve the sort of 'connection' you have achieved I rate it as the best Blog on the web ! Hope a way can be found to maintain your interest, even if it involves some commercialization. Don't frighten us like that ! |
| great to see you back. Well, the truth is we were all refreshing the page over and over.... So nice to have some good news every now and then! |
| I have read some of your Blog over the last
eleven months or so, and although I wasn't sure what the heck you were trying to
achieve in the beginning, found that I kept coming back. The whole idea of
blogging seemed rather alien a concept and didn't realize that there were people
out there doing this kind of thing.
I personally have been visiting your site for several years on and off, due to the fantastic online library of excel tips you keep, and confess to having purchased several of your books, PUP and code. So have your next brewski on me! Heck, have two! I 'blogged' on today, as I hadn't for a couple of days, and was shocked to see that you had decided to call it quits. Why the hell would you want to give up something that must literally take you hours of your time every day to do, that does not productively achieve anything, or earn you cash? Errr.... Well then I noticed from a few days ago you announcing that you had finished your latest book, and realized that the Blog, is your way of procrastinating. I fully sympathize with you on this being one of the worlds great procrastinators, especially when writing reports, or trying to set up a spreadsheet, with some tricky new formulas etc. You position is all the worse for having become one of the greats within your field, for a product that does not seem to have progressed much at all over the last few years. I guess its a bit like a writer for a fashion magazine having to think up new ways of selling the t-shirt as this years cool item. Or what color is going to be this years new black. So the point of this so far? You cant give up!. Seriously - if you've finished the latest book, and theirs nothing new on the horizon in the world of spreadsheets, apart from slapping a new cover on your other books, there is little for you to do. (Totally overlooking the fact you also act as an Excel Consultant). The Blog will help you keep sane. And it will help me and countless others, by allowing us few minuets diversion each day, keeping us in touch with the weird, the wonderful and the despicable record producing companies!!!!!!! I've noted that you keep checking up on how many (and who?) reads your blogs and how many people use your name on the internet. This alone has caused me some mischievous musings over the months, speculating where I could get your name used. I hasten to add I haven't done this yet, but plans were are in place to try and get you quoted in several places. (CIA's most wanted list is tops, but only if the BLOG stops!). John - what ever you decide to do, I know that there are many people out here that have enjoyed you Blog, and will miss it. I know that you don't actually gain anything from it, and it must take an effort to turn something in every day, but its been appreciated. Even if the Blog finishes, I know I will still visit your excel pages from time to time, and I'm sure to see your name floating around the Microsoft.public.excel newsgroups. Anyway, that's enough procrastinating, back to that report...... |
| I've been an avid Walker since the Nigerian spoof, and I thought I had been Calvin and Hobbs'ed. I'm very glad to see you back. Take care. |
| No sooner had I taken your closed blog out of my "Favorites" link did I read in another site that you were back. Thanks for your time and the interesting items that you bring to our attention. Now, why don't you include some links to advertisers or plug your books to at least make this monetarily worth your time? |
| Just wanted to say thanks for not ending the J-Walk Blog. My heart sank when I visited on Tuesday, and saw that it was over. Since stumbling on your blog earlier this year I have been alternately amused, educated, appalled, and sometimes all three. Yours is the only blog that I went to daily, and I am a happier camper to know that I won't be without my daily fix! |
| Today I decided to take a one final <snurfle> look of your excellent blog and I was pleasantly surprised when noticing that you have started blogging again. Thank you! Keep on blogging. |
| Thank god you decided to come back! I was all ready to throw my computer out of the window!.....i even tried to go to boing boing like you suggested, but screw that. J-Walk blog is the best damn website on the internet. Seriously. It has made me the cock of the walk thanx to my ability to find wacky shit on the web, and thus bring a respite to the endless tedium of work. Thank you John Walkenbach......thank you indeed. may we never see the zebras butt again. |
| Thank You Thank You Thank YouThank You Thank You Thank YouThank You Thank You Thank YouThank You Thank You Thank YouThank You Thank You Thank YouThank You Thank You Thank YouThank You Thank You Thank YouThank You Thank You Thank YouThank You Thank You Thank YouThank You Thank You Thank YouThank You Thank You Thank YouThank You Thank You Thank YouThank You Thank You Thank YouThank You Thank You Thank YouThank You Thank You Thank YouThank You Thank You Thank You |
| Thank you so much for continuing your blog. It is a daily read for me during the week. I find your links fascinating and enjoy reading your comments. Good luck with your new book and if I ever have to start using Excel more than occasionally, I'll pick up a copy. |
| Hey J-Walk Man! We are SOOOO happy you are back up. I couldn't even bring myself to look at your site yesterday---I was that bummed out. THANK (insert favorite deity here) that you have returned!!! |
| I was hoping you would change your mind! Glad your back! If you get a chance come check out my site..... Life In The Present http://darkly35.blogspot.com Long time listener, first time e-mailer. |
| I check your site almost every day. I was surprised when you said only 1,300 people were regular visitors. I figured it would be much more. I suspect you and I would probably have an occasional difference of opinion on some things that seem to be your "hot" buttons, but I can not deny that I really enjoy your blog. I always look forward to checking it out sometime during my day here at work. Anyway, keep blogging as long as you enjoy doing it, and if it starts to stress you out you can always just tell everyone you're taking a few weeks off .... Then come back to it when you've rested up. |
| Yeh! Whew! So GLAD to see that you are going to stay with us. Love your blog. Love your blog. !!! |
| I was disappointed to read that you were no longer going to keep your J-Walk blog going. I respected your decision and wanted to tell you how grateful I was for the short and rewarding pleasure that I received in the few months you have been blogging. I looked on your blog as one of those great sidewalk chalk artworks that are beautiful and temporary and somehow even better because of being so short lived. However, now that you've changed your mind and are going to continue blogging, I wanted to thank you and tell you to keep up the good work. I look forwarding to your work as much as my first cup of coffee in the morning. |
| I'm sorry to add to the hundreds of emails
you've received lately, but I wanted to get my two cents in. I've been away from
my computer for the last couple of days, and it turned out to be a good thing.
It saved me from all the anxiety that hundreds of others felt when you announced
your blogtirement. Since I got to read the good news before the bad, it made for
an interesting story and I was anxiety free.
Yours is the only web page that I read everyday. Well, I read every day's entry if not each day. So I'mm (selfishly) happy to hear that you will be staying the course. I've thought of doing a blog (and a thousand other things I will likely never do). Some day you should write a "day-in-the-life" entry to help us uninformed understand what goes into this project. For what it's worth, it can't take as much work as I think - but only because I think it would take about 20 hours a day to put your blog together. |
| You made me sad, and two days later you made me happy. Thank you for all these feelings. |
| I'm a little behind my "weekly" visit to the BLOG and am relieved you're here to stay and not gone ... I "found" you originally when I took an Excel class and they offered your book EXCEL 2000 FORMULAS, which I promptly scooped up! Thanks for continuing ... not only is your book the BEST [god, do I love Excel :) :)] but your Blog keeps me from blowing my brains out each week :) ...no guilt there! |
| Thank you, thank you, thank you. For deciding NOT to retire. I visit your site frequently and think it's one of the best things on the 'net. |
| I visit (and enjoy) your site daily. I was much relieved when you returned. Your tastes are similar to my own, and I find almost every thing you post of interest. |
| <kidding> Damn you John! After reading you were quitting the J-walk blog I sold my computer and my modem! The internet lost his best blog so why still have pc? And now I see the blog is still up and runnin' (like never before)? Had to rush to the store for a new pc ..... </kidding> <serious> |
| I've been checking your site for several months now. Very happy to see that you're staying. I look forward to checking your blog every day. |
| It's really a very good news that you changed your mind about stop blogging. Thanks man!!!!!!!. Every time I've got into internet, I always go to your site.....always!!!!! |
| So glad you decided not to ditch the blog. I always look forward to my visits. It took my a while to wander from your Excel pages to the J-Walk blog, but now I stop by regularly, and always mention what fun the blog is when I recommend one of your books or your Excel page. Besides, winter's coming, the lawn won't need mowing too many more times this year. |