---
title: 'Waxy.org hasn’t just influenced the Internet, it’s put a dent in it. Thanks, Andy Baio.'
date: '2012-04-17T21:23:38-07:00'
type: post
word_count: 453
char_count: 2726
tokens: 589
categories:
  - '#featured'
  - Bloggers
  - Blogs
  - News
  - Oregon
  - Portland
tags:
  - 'andy baio'
  - Blog
  - Internet
  - waxpancake
  - waxy
---

# Waxy.org hasn’t just influenced the Internet, it’s put a dent in it. Thanks, Andy Baio.

I’m consistently—and constantly—struck by how incredibly lucky we are here in Portland. Without even realizing it. We’re home to the [inventor of the wiki](http://twitter.com/wardcunningham "Ward Cunningham"), folks [creating the tools that have helped create the Web](http://panic.com "Panic"), and within a stone’s throw of one of the founders of the [grandaddy of Weblogs](http://metafilter.com "MetaFilter"), among other things. Quietly. But here.

And let’s not forget, Portland is home to [Andy Baio](http://twitter.com/waxpancake "Andy Baio"), whose blog [Waxy.org](http://waxy.org "Waxy.org") quietly [turned a decade old over the weekend](http://waxy.org/2012/04/happy_10th_birthday_waxy/ "Happy 10th Birthday Waxy").

And reading the birthday post, you might not really get what sort of impact Andy has had on the Web…

> The decision to start writing here regularly changed my entire life. It’s given me exposure, a place to share my projects and crazy experimentation with technology. It’s created new opportunities for me, directly or indirectly responsible for every major project I’ve gotten involved in. It’s a place to play and experiment with ideas, some of which led to big breakthroughs and passions. And it connected me to people who cared about the things I did, many of whom became lifelong friends.

… but as he starts to rattle off his best links of the last decade, it becomes amazingly clear.

Sure he started [Upcoming](http://upcoming.yahoo.com "Upcoming") and helped build [Kickstarter](http://kickstarter.com "Kickstarter"). But even beyond that.

[All Your Base](http://waxy.org/2002/04/tracking_the_al/ "Tracking the All Your Base Meme with Usenet")? [Google buying Blogger](http://waxy.org/2003/02/google_buys_blo/ "Google Buys Blogger")? [Star Wars Kid](http://waxy.org/2003/04/star_wars_kid/ "Star Wars Kid")? [Grey Tuesday](http://waxy.org/2004/02/danger_mouses_t/ "Danger Mouse's The Grey Album MP3s")? [Finding Afro-Ninja](http://waxy.org/2004/10/afroninja_found/ "Afro Ninja found")? [Pushing the limits of copyright](http://waxy.org/2011/06/kind_of_screwed/ "Kind of Screwed")?

Waxy reads like a history of the Internet we know and love. And Andy was in the middle of a lot of it.

So do yourself a favor. Wish Waxy a happy 10th. And then spend a few hours [going through the most popular Waxy posts](http://waxy.org/2012/04/happy_10th_birthday_waxy/ "Happy 10th Birthday Waxy"). You’ll be glad you did. And smarter to boot.

Thanks, Andy. For the dedication, the determination, and the inspiration. Here’s to decades more.

*(Hat tip [Scott Kveton](http://twitter.com/kveton "Scott Kveton"))*