Steppenvalve is a pseudonym based on the name of the novel Steppenwolf. "Valve" referes to the thermionic valves used in guitar amplifiers. Where a steppenwolf is a lone, wild wolf (a wolf of the Steppes), as the main character in the Hesse novel states, "steppenvalve" aludes to guitar amplifiers with some sort of untamed quality, unlike the ordinary marshall or hiwatt stack.

Steppenvalve has used this nick on usenet since 2004, mostly on guitar related newsgroups and now builds boutique amplifiers and stompboxes as a hobby. The user also writes Science Fiction stories and creates parodies of other writers out of his unsold manuscripts. To date the user has not sold any stories.

Steppenvalve does not believe truth or fact can be decided by compromise within an Internet democracy like wikipedia, but is pleased with most entries so far. The user is both suspicious and strangly fascinated by this whole enterprise. The user thinks this is an interesting experiment in free speech and is cautiously optimistic of the future of wikipedia.

Steppenvalve is a conservative religious man living in America.