Geeze! That's the thanks I get for making Wizbang one of the biggest blogs out there.

You're welcome.

Well it is April 1st, so I'm going to hold out here a bit... It's your blog Kevin, so do what you want with it, but I have to say that a permanent vacation seems a bit Draconian. I enjoyed the discourse and think it's pretty important. Maybe I am missing something.

Kevin, Good call. Paul's was right to state that no scientific theory is sacrosanct however his understanding and criticism of evolution was at a grade school level. It's best not to shoot your mouth off about a subject of when you have no expertise. This was the first time I had checked wizbang since then and it would have been my last if I saw on more pointless post on the subject.

Does this mean that the subject of evolution is now something upon which we cannot comment? What happens if someone such as myself finds the quasi religious and rigid discomfort of evolutionists to be wryly humorous and fundamentally unscientific?

Kevin, I've read Wizbang for a while, and I agree with you. I don't think Paul's been adding anything lately.

Kevin read my mail to you at your gmail account.

I'm with Jeremy's lede... I'll hold out on this until beyond April 1st Day.

Gee, Paul was responsible for "making Wizbang one of the biggest blogs out there"?

I didn't know that.

It must be due to the fact that I stopped reading Wizbang because of Paul. The only reason I'm here now is because of a comment from Boyd at The Politburo Diktat.

So, will someone explain how Paul made "Wizbang one of the biggest blogs out there" as opposed to driving people away?

Jack you obviously have not been watching the statistics.

If it's true, I think it's unfortunate. Ignorance like Paul's should be put on public display, and then corrected. While he might not learn anything from the experience, some honestly curious people might. So, there's a potential net gain involved.

I say Kevin's got a lovely barrel and he should let the fish stay. Guns at the ready, everyone.

..................waiting for the punchline .............

Well, Alex sure has an inflated opinion of his importance. Maybe he should provide a list of demands for his occasional gracious presence among the lesser Wizbang readers.

This just stinks of hypocrisy, Kevin. You have put a great deal of time and effort into sneering dismissive posts about creationists and creation scientists (I accept evolution as fact) and now you want to shut off debate by demanding and enforcing censorship on a valued contributor to your blog.
Now we can see among our own people by what process the leftist free speech movement transformed into the speech code movement.

This is a shame, Kevin, but I understand that ya gotta do what ya gotta do. I actually enjoyed the debate; I disagreed with a lot of Paul's points, but I didn't take any of it personally. And I actually thought his "Quantifying Science" post was pretty good, until I got to the last two paragraphs. At that point I remembered Kevin's posting from last week and I thought "what has this got to do with anything"? It just didn't follow from the preceding material and it was unnecessarily provocative. Using language like that makes one come across as the very thing that one is supposed to be protesting -- people who are so damn sure that their own opinion is truth that they won't let any other subject be discussed until the room is empty.

Several years ago, I moderated a mailing list dedicated to discussion of Indy-car racing. For those who don't know, there has been a sea change in the way Indy racing is run since 1995; there were a lot of politics and an awful lot of hurt feelings that occurred. Now, my mailing list admittedly took a particualr side (I started the list as a forum for that side because the other side blocked them from being able to create a new Usenet group), but I always wanted participants to keep in mind that the other side might have a good point now and then, and not to get too dogmatic. There were arguments, sure. But the only person I ever banned was the one guy who was so damn sure he was right that at one point he sent the list 400 posts in one hour, and I had to stop the list sever for a while to clean up the mess. At that point, it became clear that he didn't want discussion -- what he wanted was for his opinion to be the only one heard, and he was determined to shut down the communication channel if necessary to make sure no one else could get a word in. He actually had previously succeeded in getting another mailing list killed using this tactic. That isn't speech; it's jamming. There is a difference.

Hmmm. I don't discount a Paul-is-dead scheme. But, if this is real, I have one position: I feel strongly both ways. Seriously, if property rights go, everything we have as a free society goes. If you built it and own it, it's yours to do with as you see fit. Absent some sort of agreeemnt to the contrary, this means Kevin's blog is Kevin's blog, and nobody else's.

But I also didn't mind Paul. If occasionally I thought he belabored the evolution argument (and it is a faith, just as surely as Christianity, and just as contemptuous of competition as other religions can be), I skimmed or skipped it, because there was always something else I found to interest me.

Something feels petty and small about this. I support your right to do near about anything you want with your page, have who you want and what you want. But that doesn't mean I am powerless.

So I'm gpong to go on a Wizbang hiatus myself, and see if I miss hitting it and it's links from two to six times a day. I don't know who's in the right or wrong here, or if it matters. But I don't think I'll be a part of it. Maybe I'll see you later. Maybe not. Maybe this is Paul's sign to go solo.

Fools like Andy are going to be sad after this day is over.

Jay Tea is our ever popular essayist, and Paul adds bite to our political coverage. As a team we work well together, so unless the two of them strike out on their own they've got a home here as Permanent Guest Bloggers.

-from the Wizbang "about" section

Paul, you are correct, I do not watch the statistics for weblogs that I find to spew intolerance and hatefulness to anyone who disagrees with them, which is why I want an explanantion as to how the posts by you, Paul specifically, increased the readership here.

Of course, I'm just a blogger and a commenter, and not even a "right-winger" but instead a centrist that isn't interested in tearing things apart but instead holding them together, so no one "owes" me any explanation, but a remark such as the one made, that is, "Geeze! That's the thanks I get for making Wizbang one of the biggest blogs out there," a professional researcher in the semiconductor industry such as myself feels the statement merits more of an explanation than merely standing alone after Kevin's announcement.

Damn us people who want data to prove unequivocable statements...

andy:

If it's true, I think it's unfortunate. Ignorance like Paul's should be put on public display, and then corrected.

All right dude. Maybe you should come down off of your high horse a little.

Y2K I saw the same thing but check the site credits. I emailed paul at his old address and it did not bounce but I did not get a reply either.

I think that's sad. Paul added a little balance to the blog's otherwise secular flavor.

You are welcome to blog with me any time Paul - tho' I'm just an amoeba in the blogolutionary ladder.

Jack,

If you had been around you would know the answer to your question.

I've been at the leading edge of making this a major blog. Was I alone? No. Would the results have ben the same without me? Not in a million years.

I am automatically suspicious of any major announcements made at any blog on April Fool's Day...

I'm thinking joke as well. This follows way too closely on the heels of the "delink quietly" article to be the real deal.

Either that, or Kevin was so pissed off that he took leave of all his senses.

But yeah, I expect that later today Paul, Kevin, the Commissar, that Andy guy and countless others will all let out a collective HA HA GOT YOU and then we'll all be annoyed. Amused, but annoyed.

You know what are neat? Hyperlinks. When I submitted the above, I meant to do this: "delink quietly".

Kevin:

I don't agree with your tactics here, at all. First of all you came down with your big judgement that the whole creation/evolution debate is boring, even though a fairly large number of people had been following it. Bad call.

You can claim that you dont give a damn about the subject, and judging by your fairly pedantic posts with photos of "chicks" and the usual conservative talking points, well, your opinion of what is interesting doesnt appeal to me personally. Your commentary on the whole Shiavo ordeal was about as predictable and "boring" as one can get.

Paul may have been a pain in the ass at times, but I cant say that he was boring. I may have disagreed with him, and his tactics at times, but he did draw a certain amount of interest. I found the subejcts pretty worthwhile. Just because he pisses people off doesnt mean that he should be axed...hell you showed a great deal of praise for the passing of Hunter S. Thompson, and if he wasnt pissing people off he wasn't doing his job. Sometimes creating a stir is a good thing.

The current stance you are taking as the all powerful editor god figure type, well it reeks of pettiness (as some others have noted) and above all, censorship. Way to go.

and if this is an april fools joke my opinions about your posts still stand, FYI.

>Paul may have been a pain in the ass at times, but I cant say that he was boring.

Maybe they can put that on my headstone. Thanks area. I sent Kev a long mail. We'll see.

This has to be an April Fool's joke. But if it's real, it's also fun to watch, in a weird, painful way.

RE: Jeremy Chrysler's post (April 1, 2005 02:56 PM)
Well it is April 1st, so I'm going to hold out here a bit...

Jeremy Chrysler - the sharp knife in this drawer. Very observant. We'll see if you get dulled in the next ~8'08".

Paul,

If you indeed become relegated to mere mortal status, I appreciate your efforts. I may or may not agree with you but I recognize the tremendous amount of effort required to keep up such a frenzied pace. Now sit back, drink a beer (or tea), and enjoy your newly re-acquired free time. Or start a blog and give it all back. Cheers!

well.... if you are getting rid of him I'll take him over at Bittersweet that way I can still read one of my fav bloggers and one of my fav blogs without taking sides ;)

signed,

so hoping this is an April fools joke!!

What's the difference between an April Fool's prank and a publicity stunt?

Timing.

(There is NOTHING wrong with either an April Fool's prank or a publicity stunt, not inherently. In either case, they can be lame or they can be exquisite depending entirely on how they're executed.)

For the record, Paul, if you get the boot, I'll give you a free temporary blog on my TypePad account. The address would be something like shapeofdays.typepad.com/blahblahblah, but you wouldn't have to pay for it, and you wouldn't have to put up with advertising or any such crap.

Fools like Andy are going to be sad after this day is over.

Eric, do work on your reading comprehension.

I said "If it's true..." and the proceeded to make a case for allowing Paul to stay.

Paul:

Maybe they can put that on my headstone.

Headstone my ass...you're not dead. Fuckit, keep writing regardless.

AnonymousDrivel:

If you indeed become relegated to mere mortal status, I appreciate your efforts. I may or may not agree with you but I recognize the tremendous amount of effort required to keep up such a frenzied pace.

well said.

All right dude. Maybe you should come down off of your high horse a little.

No high horse here. There are plenty of topics about which I will happily admit ignorance to a greater or lesser degree.

I'm sure Paul knows a lot about many things (we all do). Evolution just doesn't appear to be one of them.

andy:

I said "If it's true..." and the proceeded to make a case for allowing Paul to stay.

Bullshit...you were taking the opportunity to make one more jab at the guy and you know it.

I, too, am waiting for the punch line.

If Kevin's serious, then I must say I will miss Paul. I won't miss the science/evolution bashing, but I will miss the rest of his work. Paul, if you find a new home or start your own blog, let us know where to find ya.

It's his blog, If he wants to limit the discussion, let him. If you want to discuss something not on his blog, there are probably plenty of other places to do it at. It's ok to tell Kevin that you want Paul back, you'll miss him, etc. but the rule stands: his blog, his rules. No need to call him names.

While this is Kevin's site and he has every right to do this, I disagree with it. I think the competition of ideas is important and even though I strongly feel that Paul is wrong on evolution, removing him from the blog is heading in the wrong direction.

Bullshit...you were taking the opportunity to make one more jab at the guy and you know it.

While it might have been a jab, the thought was sincere. If it is true, then I hope Paul starts his own blog, and I'll visit him there.

I'm sorry that you were hoping I'd say "ha ha! Good riddance to bad rubbish!" I'll aim to conform to your wishes henceforth.

Good riddance to bad rubbish! Boo! Hiss!

Better?

...I hope Paul starts his own blog, and I'll visit him there.

Me too. Despite being quite critical of Paul's posts on evolution I don't see this as a good thing overall. If Paul started his own blog I'd visit regularly.

I sent Kev a long mail. We'll see.

I say start your own blog.

Hmmm.

I guess this shows the foolishness of participating on someone else's blog.

If you are silencing Paul, you are effectively killing him. Where's all the 'it's my right to free speech to comment on Wizbang' people now, huh? If Paul gets booted from Wizbang, do you think he's going to stick around posting comments? Oh, sure, he's doing some now. Just to answer some of the snarky posts. Eventually, he'll go where he is appreciated and where people, not to mention any names (JAY TEA). aren't stabbing him in the back.

"Next week on Wizbang's Apprentice, the co-bloggers are faced with the hardest challenge yet..."

julie:

either this IS a big joke and you're in on it, or its real and you know more about whats going on than most...

Areaman, she posted that Paul was dead before Kevin did.... There was another shooter on the grassy knoll.

Look, you people made his life miserable, complaining to Kevin every chance you got, then you act surprized and taken back by what happens. Now, some of you are back pedaling - "Oh, Paul, he wasn't so bad! Give me a break!!

Boy I hope this is a joke. Then again, I don't. Because it would be a bad one.

Kevin can and should do what he wants to with his blog. Even if it means he panders to all the nuts that got so flamin' over the evo stuff - and I know a lot of them are so-called big name bloggers. They were fairly petulant on those strings, and worse in complaining directly to Kevin. Why can't you guys just say, "I disagree and I think you don't have a grasp of the facts, and I think you're being a bit of a jerk too, so have fun and talk to you later about other things." Reminds me of the guys who called Gay Patriot's boss.

Then there's the way this went down - it's Kevin and Paul's business, not something that should be put out so publically. I'm a lot less enamored of blogging right now. Conversations aren't just conversations with a splash of schoolyard thrown in, and coalitions come and go with the tide. Less like sophisticated news mixed with opinion, more like early AOL chat-room days where you couldn't buy an interesting conversation. Sad.

I am almost totally convinced this is a joke, for no other reason then Kevin would know that people would think that if he "let go" Paul today and he would have just beared with the situation one more day.

That being said, if it is true, I have mixed emotions. I NEVER agreed with Paul, and he routinely went way past the point of reason in conversations I had with him. But, his posts were the ones that inevitably had me making comments and coming back to the site to see what others said about my comments.

There has to be something to that.

Paul, if you want to start the most ill-matched blogging partnership ever, you are free to come join me. We can couple the "Progressive Blog Alliance" Blogroll with whatever large uber-conservative blog list you want. :-).

Oh man, guys, after reading Jay's post above, I think everyone needs a chill-out. All three of you take the weekend off and get back to us on Monday.

I didn't mind the evolution discussions. Really. I've participated in a number of evolution debates myself. Heck, I've even argued the creationist side a few times just to be contrary. The trick is to not let it degenerate into name-calling, and unfortunately that's what happened here.

But one of the great things about blogs is that you can skip over topics that don't interest you. Please come back, Kevin, Jay, and Paul. All is forgiven.

BillK:

Paul, if you want to start the most ill-matched blogging partnership ever, you are free to come join me. We can couple the "Progressive Blog Alliance" Blogroll with whatever large uber-conservative blog list you want. :-).

that would actually be pretty interesting, since most blogs are decidedly biased to one side or the other.

Bill K: Kevin put the writing on the wall a couple of days ago after the last big, in a long line of them, 'evolution isn't what it's all cracked up to be and you're all a bunch of dorks' posts by Paul. So, it should hardly come as a surprise. If Paul had not gone ahead and made another evolution post, maybe Kevin would have waited a day or had second thoughts and just nixed the idea of a Paul hiatus.

What I don't understand is that don't blogs want to get hits? Don't hits create increase ad revenue? Isn't bad publicity still good publicity? All I can think of is that when Paul was running his marathon threads it distracted from both Kevin's Schiavo posts and Jay's. Sure, there were still high numbers in the comments to the other threads, but Paul pretty much matched them. And there was never any sign it would let up. Or, Paul would let up. Sure people may not like him, but Paul does get butts in the seats, so to speak.

Maybe, I'm looking at this all wrong in that number of comments do not equal high blog traffic. I'm not a blogger. I guess the sitemeter thingy is what's important. But, when you have two very controversial topics going on at once, how do you tell which one is attracting the traffic? And how do you tell if one brought people to the site and then they stuck around to read and comment on another issue? You would look at the comments, right?

julie:

What I don't understand is that don't blogs want to get hits? Don't hits create increase ad revenue? Isn't bad publicity still good publicity?

Yep. I dont understand what Kevin is doing either. Basically he's telling alot of people that what they are interested in is a waste of time. I know that the debate that was going on wasnt the most enthralling or productive of all time, but people were following it, and quite a few.

^^oops. the second paragraph shouldnt be in italics. i suck.

What an odd situation. It never struck me that Paul was making a particular argument about evolution/creationism so much as pointing out logical flaws in the often rabidly nasty responses of evolution zealots (to borrow a phrase), but if that's a huge problem for some people, that's far more of a commentary on them than on Paul. It seems likely that there's more to this than we're being told, doesn't it?

For what it's worth, every blog is a buffet. I take what I want and move on. Doesn't everybody?

I guess it comes down to what sort of traffic you want. If I was only interested in the bottom line at Sortapundit I'd be focusing on Google keywords and posting porn all over the place, but that isn't why I blog. Kevin obviously doesn't want Wizbang (a site that he's devoted 2 years to) to descend into, well, what it's become in the past week or so - one long argument. Fair play to him.

Isn't the foremost complaint against the media that they sacrifice substance and quality for sensationalism and ratings ploys (that is unless you subscribe a "media is controlled by liberals/conservatives paranoia)? Maybe Kevin just isn't interested in trading quality for traffic. That is, of course, if Paul can really be credited with increased traffic (I only started reading this blog a few months ago, so I don't know how it was before). In any case I look forward to Paul's migrating his nutjobbery to another blog. It's always good for a laugh.

What an odd situation. It never struck me that Paul was making a particular argument about evolution/creationism so much as pointing out logical flaws in the often rabidly nasty responses of evolution zealots (to borrow a phrase), but if that's a huge problem for some people, that's far more of a commentary on them than on Paul.

Hey, this guy can read!

It never struck me that Paul was making a particular argument about evolution/creationism so much as pointing out logical flaws...

Bwahahahahaha. Where oh where is Paul with is, "Can't you read what I wrote?!?!?!" Please Uncle Mikey, you are going to hurt yourself on this one.

Sortapundit:

I think it's pretty clear that Kevin likes to post naked ladies, too.

Really Paul? You never wrote you didn't believe in "macro"-evolution? That you didn't believe the 100's of transitional fossils proved anything? You haven't come up with your own definition of evolution which (needlessly) incorporates abiogenesis into the definition?

Steve,

I bet you never figured out a rubik's cube on your own and have been bitter ever since.

Oh my God, my secret is out. Yes, I confess all my posts have been fueled over a bitterness at never having solved a Rubik's cube before.

It is okay that you don't want to answer any questions Paul. I know it is embarassing getting caught distorting things like this. Sheesh.

In case anyone is arriving to the party late, it was an April Fools joke.

Paul is not fired, Jay Tea is not pissed, I'm not mad...

Details and "told you so" comments here.

Interesting how because of one persons opinion about evolution so many become angry and resort to insulting ones inteligence rather than taking part in an actual discussion.

Alex as an example shows himself as one who doesn't care for discussion in thought and demonstration of truth.

Very sad.

Steve is great at proving other people's points, isn't he?

Yeah, but the kicker is Uncle Mikey he doesn't get that he's doing it.

He reminds me of one of my sisters. My any measure of intelligence she would be in the top 99 percentile. Every Ivy League school in the country recruited her. She is unquestionably a genius.

But Lord that girl is dumb as a brick.

I went to help her paint her house one day and she had gone to the hardware store and bought paint but had no brushes or rollers. It never occurred to her there was a problem.

Sometimes smart people are just dumb as bricks.

At this point, I'm not at all sure Steve's not in on the joke. I feel that shaky about my April Fool's skills and magic.

Your sister sounds a lot like my physicist cousin, who walked in front of a laser during an experiment and almost blinded himself in one eye, and who I remember having to go collect from a canoe trip on a Texas river because he wouldn't take our word for the fact that it's better to go upriver on the way out so you can drift back if need be. Smart enough for particle physics, too smart for everyday life.