Posted on by tanster

OfficeTally in the news

Our local paper, the Mercury News, posted a nice article (with photos even!) about my obsession with this thing called OfficeTally.

Link: P.A. woman’s site pivotal in success of ‘The Office’

There are a few people I’d like to thank: Merc reporter Mark de la Viña for listening to me prattle on about the show for hours, Angela Kinsey and Kent Zbornak, for taking the time to provide some amazing quotes, and last but not least, the hardworking and dedicated folks at NBC.com for bringing this story to Mark in the first place!

P.S. A shout-out, too, to Michael Schur, who also provided quotes for the story that were unfortunately not included. My favorite — when asked “What sort of contact have you had with Jennie?”, Michael replied, “I did a lengthy Q and A with Jennie a few months ago, and it was brutal. She raked me across the coals. It was like Mike Wallace going after a tobacco company lawyer.” Giggle.

128 comments

  2. Jennie – that was a fantastic article! Congratulations! And that’s so cool that you and Angela will be meeting up. Thank you for all you do for us crazy Office fans, too!

  3. What a great article! You do so much for the website and the adoring fans of The Office. Thank you! Many kudos to you Tanster!

  7. Congrats! And thank you for doing what you do – this is often the very first site I check in the morning, and the last one I look at before I turn my computer off in the evening. I know – it’s a problem. All of these accolades and recognition are well-deserved!

    Thanks again!

  8. That is so cool! I check this site compulsively and you do an amazing job with it. You’re going to have so much fun with Angela, I can’t wait to hear all about it!

  9. Wow tanster, congratulations! So much Office-love coming your way! What would we do without you?

  11. Wow. If I lived to a thousand, there would never be an article written about me like that. Thanks for enabling us “office” freaks Jennie!

  12. Yay Tanster!

    I’m so glad that you got some well-deserved recognition for all that you do here at OT. I’m so excited for tonight, not only for the premiere, but also for the discussion afterward here on OT! I’m be visiting for sure!

  13. Jennie you are the best. You deserve this article and much more for all your hard work. Thank You!
    We would be lost without you!

  15. How awesome for you… thank you for all you do, LOVE the site! My day wouldn’t be complete without a visit or two here :)M

  17. Congratulations Tanster – fantastic article and abso-fruit-ly well deserved recognition for all you do!

  18. Congrats Jennie!!! You definitely deserve an article in the Mercury. I’m also from the south bay, so I’m excited to see you in my paper! thanks for everything you do. And well done! =)

  19. Yay Tanster!!! What a sweet gig you’ve got going on! I wish I had thought of it first. ;)

    Congratulations on all your well-deserved recognition and thank you SO VERY MUCH for putting so much time and effort into this website. If OfficeTally did not exist…I don’t think I could make it through the work day.

  20. Just a note to Jennie:

    YOU ROCK! I love this website (visit it more than once a day, much to the chagrin of the piles of work on my desk…) and it has helped me survive The Office hiatuses (sp? is that even a word?).

    Seriously, though…your hard work is amazing and we all love you!

  21. Congratulations on the article, Jennie! Finally, the rest of the world gets to find out what we already know. OfficeTally has always been my daily checkpoint on all things “The Office”. Thanks for all you do!

  24. Jennie, that article was amazing. Thank you for all that you do for us. 50 hours a week is qutie a lot of dedication, but you site is a must visit on a daily basis for all Office fans.

  29. Yay! Congratulations Jennie. Your hard word is deservedly being recognized. Thanks for all you do.

  31. Wow! That’s a big deal. Congrats! Seriously, the amount of work you must put into this site. I hope you know we all appreciate it. Without you, we’d be lost souls. With you, we have a community where we feel like we belong.

  32. What a day already- you in the paper and news of the Office covers, and it’s still 10 1/2 hours before showtime!

  34. Thanks for all the hard work, tanster! Your site helps me stay connected to my favorite show while I’m living and teaching in China for a year!!

  35. All right, tanster! Congratulations! The recognition is richly deserved. Thanks for all your hard work, and hope this bodes well for the Bloggers’ Choice Awards. Best.website.ever :)

  36. I’m so glad you are getting recognition for all the hard work you put into this website. I know that I appreciate it and I bet everyone else does too.

    Congratulations!

  40. Congrats on the article Jennie! I loved how I picked up the Merc this morning and there you were!! And who doesn’t love the cast and crew more; they said such nice things about you! :)

  43. Yay Jennie!!!

    It’s nice to see you get the recongnition you deserve.

    We all love you and appreciate your hard work!

  46. It is refreshing to know that you were deservedly lauded with praise and recognition for your real efforts towards a real website that showcases a fictional company. In the real world, your boss’s boss’s boss, the CFO (not his initials; common mistake) would take all the credit.

    [from tanster: man, that was funny!]

  47. Jennie, thank you so much for all of the time and effort you put into OfficeTally. Hope you get some sleep tonight!

  48. Good work, Jennie! You put so much time and effort to this wonderful site, it’s nice to get the regognition! And you definitely deserve it! A big “THANK YOU” is in order. Can’t wait to see where your adventures with Angela ends up!! =D

  49. Ok, that was awesome.

    I love that I can point to this site when my hubby thinks that I have lost my mind over The Office and say, see there are more like me!

    Of course he comes back with a Trekkies comment, so what can you do… lol

  50. Hella props Tanster! Very well deserved.

    (for those of you outside of the bay area, “hella” means many or alot of)

  52. Wow, tanster! That truly is awesome. Thank you for all your hardwork you put into this site and to bringing Office stuff to us.

    Did you ever imagine that your little site would get this big?

  53. congrats tanster! great to see you get recognition for all your hard work. without this site, i would probably be way more productive, but really –who needs that? thanks for making all our days a bit more exciting!

    [from tanster: lol. yeah, i’d be a lot more productive, too!]

  55. Being a fan of the Office wouldn’t be half as fun without your site :) Congrats on the great article!

  56. That was a wonderful article Tanster!! Very well deserved and I’m really happy that your feeding my Office addiction every day. What you do on a daily basis is much apreciated!!! Love ya girl!!

  59. yay, jennie! what a great way to start the season.

    many thanks for all your hard work. i hope you’re well rested today – it’s going to be a whirlwind of an evening here at officetally!

  60. Jennie, that is so awesome, thanks for sharing!! This website truly is one in a million! It’s the first site I check everyday! All of us Tallyheads really appreciate all your hard work!!!

  61. My boss just handed me the article (I work in Palo Alto).. awesome! So what tourist hot spots are you and Angela going to hit up? :)

  62. Great article, tanster! It’s good to see you getting recognition for your hours and hours of hard work. You totally deserve it!

  63. Yaaay Jennie! I know you’ll be up late tonight, but I know you’re just as excited as the rest of us that the premiere is finally here!

  67. Great article, Tanster. Glad OT is getting some press. You deserve it!

    One nitpick:

    “… Kent Zbornak says Tan’s site was an ‘instrumental force’ in helping the show stay afloat in its first ratings-challenged season in 2005.

    …

    “Tan started the Web site in February 2006 …”

    Sounds a bit over-stated on Mr. Zbornak’s part. :-)

    But, anyway, I’m know your site has had a big impact on helping the show and mobilizing us fans. Thanks for all the work you do. I didn’t realize how much time goes into it. Please give my heartfelt sympathy to Mr. Skees!

  69. Congratulations on the awesome article, Jennie! How did I not know that you’re in the Bay Area? That makes OT that much more fabulous. :) I’ll be watching at my sister’s place tonight in Palo Alto, so perhaps we’ll hear each other cracking up across town! And if you need any ringers in the background tomorrow when you’re out with Angela, you just let us know…that kind of sounds stalkerish…have a great time!

  70. Congrats on the well deserved recognition Jennie, both from the newspaper and more impressively from the Office producers and cast. I think the fact that Jenna gave you an exclusive in depth interview when she was nominated for her Emmy and Angela spending the day with you tomorrow shows how important you are to them as a supporter of the show and as a friend.

    With you putting in 50 hours a week as a member of Team Dunder Mifflin they should be paying you! – perhaps in Schrute Bucks and Stanley Nickels ;-)

  71. I hope you know how much everyone appreciates you and all the work you put into the site. OfficeTally definitely drove my obsse – um, dedication to the show.

    Thanks!

  72. AWESOME, I love when fans get recognized for their dedication. You deserve it more than anyone!

  73. Awesome Jennie – you deserve this recognition SO much – I can’t go a day (or an hour) without visiting OT! Congrats!!

  74. jennie that is so awesome! i can’t even imagine going out to dinner with angela! you are very lucky.

    and this article is looong over. you do such a great job on this site and give us so many inside details. i go here every day, most days more than once. really, thank you!

  78. Like for so many others, OfficeTally has become integral part of my Office-watching ritual. Half the fun of the show is heading on over to OfficeTally afterward to obsess over the details with other crazed fans. I don’t even go to other Office fan sites.

    I never knew exactly how much work you put into this site before reading this article, but I’m not surprised. Yours is by far the most comprehensive Office fan site on the Internet. So, thank you for everything that you do.

  79. Congrats Tanster! Great article and you so deserve it! What would we, the Office fanatics, do without you and the Office Tally? Thanks for everything.

  83. It’s a pleasure to come to this site every day. You do great work, Jennie, and you deserve all the good things that come your way.

  86. Great article!

    Tanster, you have done such an amazing job of not only keeping us rabid “Office” fans plugged into all the latest happenings, but you have faciliated a dialogue between the fans and the folks at NBC, meaning you truly make us fans a part of the “Office” family.

    I go to your site probably 15 times a day hoping for spoiler news or a good discussion thread. I am never disappointed. I am a total addict of the show and your site. It’s the best.

  87. You do so much for this site and for the Office fans that your recognition is well-deserved. Kudos!

  88. Congratulations! And once again, thank you for all the work (fun?) that goes into putting OT out there for us!

  93. How exciting that you’ve been credited with helping to keep the show afloat. You get a huge THANKS from me and many, I know. Thanks for all your work. I love being a part of the OfficeTally community!

  94. Congratulations!!!! you deserve it for sure, this site is awesome. Thats so cool that you’ve developed a relationship with alot of the people at the office. And thanks for helping to keep my favourite show on the air!

  95. Where will you and Angela be in San Francisco? I don’t mean to stalk, of course, but I’ll be in town showing my parents around, and it would fantastic to “bump into” you and Angela!

  96. Congratulations Jennie. We are all grateful and indebted to you for the hard work, energy and love you put into this site. No more sleep for you for the next couple of months!

  97. I have friends who ask me, every time I see them, if I have any Office news. I always do…and they assume it’s ’cause I live in LA. Not so; I just read Officetally every day. Thank you Jennie, you do more work than anyone who actually works on the show. We couldn’t be more pleased, and I hope ol’ Mr. NBC shows his rightful appreciation. Thanks again. You made hiatus bearable. :)

  98. Congratulations on a great article! It was nice to read about how the website started – you’ve come a long way. I don’t often post, but I SO appreciate and love this website. Thank you for all of your hard work! :)

  99. So cool, congrats Tanster! We really appreciate all the effort you put in. That was really great to see some ink on what it takes to make it all happen. Let’s see… how many sites update as frequently as yours? Seems like none – which is why a daily visit or two is always on my list. Thank you again and have a great time with Angela!

  100. I didn’t realize you were local, too! Congratulations on the Mercury write-up–we appreciate all the hard work you do.

  102. Congratulations! OfficeTally is one of my favorite websites, and I’m glad you got recognized for all the hard work you do in order to keep us Office fans up to date. You deserve a Dundie!

  103. What a fantastic piece! Congratulations, you deserve the recognition for all the hard work you put in for the show and for us.

  104. Well done! Thanks for working so hard and producing such great work. OfficeTally’s a bright spot in my day and you deserve all the praise you get.

  105. Like everyone else just want to echo the statement and say both congrats and thanks! I truly appreciate how much hard work you put into the website. Keep rocking!!!! and who knows they may even be a pretzel day in your future lol

  106. Congratulations! You’re amazing, Tanster. Thanks for all you do. I’m officially addicted to your site.

  107. I just want to echo the statement from pretty much everyone else and say both congrats and thanks! As someone who has tried to update websites on a daily basis I truly appreciate how much hard work you put into the website. Can’t wait for tonight!

  109. Holy schnikes. I didnt realize you we’re a fellow Bay Arean until I saw the article! Keep up the good work.

  110. Wow! You’re more than local, you’re like a neighbor. I’m a P-A gal as well. Either way, a fantastic article for a fantastic website-runner-do-er-person-er. Thanks for everything you do, sincerely. I live for Office news via Office Tally, so really. Thank you.

  111. Congratulations! You deserve every bit of good press. I love this site and it’s so beautifully maintained.

    May God guide you on your quest.

  113. Jennie, thanks for bringing us joy! Seriously, this show is something that really brightens my day/week and it’s great to share and read others’ comments. I’d also like to say it’s so nice that people are generally kind and appreciative of each other on officetally.

    Thanks for all the hard work, Tanster!!

  116. I’ve been checking this site DAILY for the last year as The Office is the only show that I will stop what I’m doing to watch or talk about at anytime. Booze Cruise is the episode that got me hooked, and since then, I haven’t looked back, I bring up episodes at work and make references to it that are too numerous to count. I’ve made several people convert to my obsession and I think my DVDs are worn because of it. I read all the comments on this site though I have never submitted one myself, but after reading this article, Ms. Jennie, you truly are amazing at what you do here for all of the faithful fans of the best show on television. Keep up the wonderful work and be proud of the recognition that you receive, it’s well deserved!

  117. Jennie, That is awesome. You deserve a Dundie for the hardest worker ever at Dunder Mifflin…although Dwight might object!

  118. Thanks you so much for all the hard work you do here. You’ve helped make The Office more than just a tv show for me, it a way of life. I really appreciate everything you do on this site.

  119. Another thank you Jennie. Like I’ve said before this site is AWESOME! You are so dedicated and I don’t take that for granted. Congratulations!

  120. This site is a part of my daily routine.
    Very well done, I don’t know how you do it, but well done. Take the credit and enjoy it, because we all know you deserve it. Thank you Jennie!

  122. Completely, completely deserved.

    OfficeTally is by far my favorite fansite out there. I can’t get through the day without checking it…I don’t know…at least a hundred times. ;)

  123. Hey Jen, saw you in the Palo Alto daily news today. Working here at Stanford. Way to go!! 2.5 more hrs….

  124. That’s awesome – congrats! And thanks for all your efforts keeping the site up & running so smoothly!

    (The reporter missed a biggie though – no mention of Jenna Fischer giving an exclusive interview to OfficeTally re: her Emmy nomination. That was so cool!)

  125. I’ve been reading this site ever since I became hooked on the Office this spring (a bit late in the game, I know). Thanks for all the work you put into it!

    I can’t believe you’re a Palo Altan as well!!! I live near Stanford (I recently relocated from L.A.). Maybe we local Dunder Mifflinites should start planning Office-watching parties!

  127. Congrats, Tanster!! You do such a great job of keeping us all up to date!! Saves me a lot of time from searching around for gossip!! You’re the best!

  128. Hi! I’ve been a long-time-lurker at this site and I just want you to know how much I appreciate it. I’m a busy gal these days and it’s nice to know that if anything is happening in the world of The Office, it’ll be here. It’s wonderful to know that the average person can really be a part of keeping something as great as The Office alive. You are DAWESOME!!!

Leave a Reply