Last Post

**EDIT** See Rewriting History above **

I deleted nearly all of my 115 posts last night. I left only those which had been linked to by carnivals or a lot of sources. Unlike Dembski, I am mothballing this webpage, and I have no drooling sycophants to beg me to stay. My acerbic style and frequent flaming didn't garner me any acolytes, I suppose. I will continue to host the carnivals I have committed myself to if the organizers still want me. Basically, I had begun to self-censor my writing because some family and friends found my site, and so I decided to pick up stakes and go anon elsewhere. More on why I'm mothballing beneath the flip.

Most of the decision is personal. I will continue to write elsewhere, on a site I've already got running, under a pseudonym. As tempted as I am to invite emails from (all two of you) those interested in the new URL, I will not. I think I will feel a freedom to begin to write on topics that matter more to me than creationism and religion on my new site. **I changed my mind, if you want the new URL, just email me. I reserve the right to exclude family and those close to them from the list.** I also want my writing to be independent of this identity for a few reasons.

For one, being a scientist gives a lot of people preconceived notions about what and how I think. I really started to see that I had fallen into a rut in my topic coverage and perspectives. Starting over without an identified line of work will help me not to do that again.

Another is my connection to a lot of people who I do not want to offend. Honestly, this last point tore me a lot. I certainly don't feel bad for writing the perspectives I had. Honesty is nothing to be ashamed of. However, I think I should have used more maturity at times and less emotion. Further, I don't feel responsible for people who choose to come here and read, then get offended and leave. I do want to grow as a person and as a writer, though, and I think a fresh start will help me immensely in both areas. Self-censorship is never a good thing, and that is what I had started to feel pressure to do.

There is also a professional component to my decision, albeit a small one at this point in time. More and more, employers look at prospective hires' webpages and blogs to gain an insight into their character. There is no more a demanding hire process than in academia. As such, I will definitely be deleting the blog a couple of months before applying for jobs, and googling my own name to follow up on links to this blog and inform people it is deleted, and asking them to break their hyperlinks.

I like to write, and I do it for myself, and not for those who read. That is the bottom line, I think. When I put all of these pieces together, this move made the most sense. I also was influenced by Daniel Drezner's post.

For those of you who have come around, and decided to read through this, thanks. If you like my writing, or used to read, and want the new URL, feel free to email me anytime.

**NOTE**
I will continue to host the carnivals I had committed myself to, pending confirmation from the organizer of each that this is still ok, though I won't be a regular blogger anymore. As they email me to confirm or tell me they'll look elsewhere, I'll amend the schedule. So, the only things that will be appearing on this website from here on out are:

• March 19 -- Carnival of the Godless
• March 30 -- Skeptics' Circle **not hosting
  
• April -- Circus of the Spineless
• June 7 -- Tangled Bank
• October 9 -- God or Not

________________
Technorati tags: Farewell