Excel Pile

Most of the people I know are geeks, and some large number of geeks are obsessive to one degree or another. (This can be verified by anyone who’s ever mumbled "Asperger’s…" under their breath while watching me arrange my Windows desktop.)

Perhaps the ultimate example of this sort of dorkiness is the fact that almost every one of my friends has, at one point or another, made at least one Excel spreadsheet to document some arcane aspect of their lives. The number of consecutive sunny days, the types and prices of the cups of coffee they drink, or just straightforward charts about their boss’s mood. There’s no end to the ways one can misuse desktop applications in one’s personal life.

So I’ve been meaning for a few years to create a site for people to upload their spreadsheets and then explain the purpose behind them. The main concerns I had were (1) what to do when idiots uploaded files with viruses, and (2) whether to allow other types of files, to embrace those with PowerPoint fixations. Those are pretty easy to deal with by only allowing one person at a time to post and by trying to accept those of the PowerPoint persuasion, despite their obvious depravity.

Thus, it’s time for a bit of market research. Have you ever made a spreadsheet for your personal life? Talked to your kids using PowerPoint? Share your geekiness, and maybe it’ll justify the creation of an exciting new community of dorks.