Could this be some strange example of parallel evolution? I mean, the internet is enormously responsive to people's ideas...you get an idea, you put it online, and what sort of audacity have I to think I'm the only person who could ever think of putting WalMart receipts online?

Then I encountered this tribute to me within the new Receipt Site. Mr. Fultz credits me for the original idea, plus gives a nice overview of my other creations (Voices for one), and generally gives me a big thumbs up for my internet things.

I've been linked on Fark for one site (nothing new added) at least three times that I can find, and I seem to remember four. Repeats aren't common on Fark, and while the Receipt Site was around I was one of their favorites. The last time Fark linked me, just a few months before The Site's demise, Jeff the Admin said this:

We liked the idea of commenting on Derek's purchases so much that we added comments to our articles shortly after linking to this site.

I can't take the credit for Fark's worldwide influence and it's own impact on the internet -- but would Fark be the same without the visitor comments? Yeah, parallel evolution and all that again (Jeff might be joking for all I know), but the influence the Receipt Site has had goes beyond being something emailed to all your friends with a "Look at this!" in the subject line.

So, Greg, I hope your new Receipt Site does well, as well as mine. Actually succeeding at something, as I did with my own Receipt Site, is a credit to my talents -- but being imitated and credited by another successful website, that is truly proof of my influence on the internet.

Two additional thoughts: **First, the 'autographed receipt' was signed by my classmates in college, because I bought treats that night for class, which I had bought at WalMart. They all new about The Site (I had given a speech on it), so they all were happy to add their names to my craziness. I let the 'myth' continue, simply because Communal Thought was something I tried to nurture with the site. **Second: I've been debating for a year now about putting the Receipt Site back up, but frowned at the idea of basically copying myself. Greg here has come up with something new, different layout, different receipts/locations/purchases, so I won't put the Receipt Site back up now...there IS a Receipt Site out there, and while it's not mine it still is a credit to my creativity. I know I sound kinda selfish in my post, wanting Greg to succeed simply for my own recognition; I really do hope his site gets attention, because it's sad to make a website nobody sees.

--Derek, your Sysop , 12/10/2003 07:58:49

Hello Derek You are very kind for all your great comments on your blog entry not to mention it will be exellent promotion for my new site i'm very excited that in 2 days it has already recieved as much attention as it has i only hope i can please the public as you did and yes it is true with out you being the pioneer people would probaly just look at me weird and wonder why lol well kinda like they are now lol anyways i was just checking out mystats and saw the all the attention had to follow it up and see where it was coming from and to my surprise it was coming right from the original source thats very cool thanks again now i think i gotta go to walmart i know i'm outta something LOL! c-ya!

--Greg , 12/11/2003 11:46:15

I dunno, Derek. I checked it out, and really, I am not impressed. The comment format is not user friendly. I think Greg is trying too hard to create something that has already been done. (attention whore??) Too bad. - Jenay

--Jenay, 2/15/2004 08:08:29

Well Jenay as i said on my site i welcome comments and suggestions on how to make it better and i'm not trying to create something that has already been done i am merely creating my own site and i never got the chance to see dereks wr site so i don't know how he set it up but i will try to make it more user friendly :)

--Greg , 3/12/2004 14:40:07