Feeling Snarky

I just deleted a really snarky comment -- one that I wrote. It is the end of the term and my patience is a bit thin. Y'all shouldn't have to suffer of course.

I shall attempt to be less snarky here.

Feeds: this blog is on partial feeds because it makes it more difficult for sites who steal content to steal mine. That decision may be based upon hubris, but there it is. I have used Bloglines or Google Reader for years. I appreciate that so many of you are sufficiently interested in what I have to say that you will click a link and later shut a window. Thank you. Be assured I am happy to return the favor.

Commenting: this blog does not require that you type in a word verification but also does not allow anonymous commenting. Comment moderation is not enabled. I want to limit spam comments, but personally don't like word verification. I have a hard time with it. I often have to type two or three different words before I get it right. It is not a (just) a typo problem. I have a hard time visusally deciphering the letters. Sometimes I don't post a comment that I have already written just because I have so much trouble. (You know the word verification on some blogs that have lines running through it? That feature has resulted in the death of many of my comments). Not liking it myself, I don't impose it on others. I think that it is important to have one or the other of these to slow down the spam bots, and I choose making people self-identify. Many other people prefer to allow anonymous comments. I understand and respect the decision and do my best with the frictative verification thing.

Comment moderation is not on because in almost two years of blogging there have only been a handful of comments that I have deleted. They were all comments that were irrelevant to the blog and contained links to the author's sites. I might use it if the commenting thing gets bad.

So, I assure you, none of these decisions was made in ignorance of the relevant facts.

Now if you will excuse me, I have to answer emails to students explaining that they can't schedule individual final appointments so they can go home early, all extra credit opportunities have passed, I meant it when I said that attendance was required, and no, they can't turn in work due weeks ago.

And no I don't give a brown-word if professor so-and-so lets them.