November 1, 2004

• Is it something about November,
  
  or something about me in November?

  I just blocked another Xangan from my site today.  That took me to
  my blocked users list, where I noticed a pattern.  There are eight
  names on that list.  Five of them were blocked during the month of
  November, of 2002, 2003, or, now, 2004.

  There was another pattern evident, too.  Half of the sites I’ve
  blocked have been inactive for at least six months, and two of them
  stopped updating within three weeks of the time I blocked them.

  Those things were evident from the stats displayed.  Another
  pattern revealed itself when I thought back to my reasons for blocking
  each one.  Most of the users I blocked, and all of the ones who
  have subsequently stopped updating, were blocked for spamming me. 
  I think it’s a fair guess that those accounts might have been
  originated for the purpose of spamming, and were abandoned either by
  premeditated intent when their usefulness wore out, or out of
  frustration when enough Xangans had had enough and blocked them. 
  Some of them could be reincarnated with new nics, I suppose.

  Following those observations and deductions, I started wondering how my
  blocked users list might compare to others.  I wonder if I’m any
  more or less tolerant of spam than most of you.  I noticed that
  the spammers I’ve blocked were blocked at the first offense, no second
  chances.  Since there were none on the list for whom I can recall
  more than one offense, I must conclude that nobody has spammed me more
  than once, so I wonder if I was hasty in blocking them.

  I’ve blocked some for proselytizing, but I haven’t blocked anyone for
  disagreeing with me, and I’ve not blocked everyone who has insulted or
  reviled me.  Some of my favorite Xangans have engaged me in some
  engaging arguments.  I enjoy that.   Sometimes I respond to
  insults by stating my opinion in the insulting one’s guestbook, and
  none of them that I can recall has come back to dispute that opinion or
  start an argument.   That door is always open.

  One fourth of the users I blocked, I did simply because they bugged
  me.  They pestered me and played head games, not arguing but
  simply attempting to engage in a battle of wits sans ammunition. 
  I played along until it became burdensome, then cut it off.  I cut
  each of them off when I did not because I could not bear their
  ignorance and impertinence, but because I knew that if I continued to
  play the game I would get rough and then feel bad for playing the bully.

  This little excursion has served nicely to get me through the morning
  mind fog.  For a while when I got up today, I thought it might
  turn into another do-nothing day for me because the brain was socked in
  securely, in fog thicker than pea soup, more like oatmeal.  I
  don’t know how I look now but I certainly feel bright-eyed. 

  Good morning, Xanga. 

  We’re past the autumnal cross-quarter.  Presumably the restless
  spirits from last night are again at rest or at least in chains. 
  My sad little punkin has slumped a bit from the heat of his inner
  flame, which burned out around the time I turned off the porch light
  and went to bed.  I tossed candy bars to three little costumed
  kids last night, the first trick-or-treaters I’ve seen in several years
  here on this back road.  Now Doug gets to finish the bag of
  candy.  It’s not his favorite kind.  He himself admitted last
  night that was good thinking on my part.  Otherwise, that bag of
  candy would not have lasted from Thursday when I brought it home until
  Sunday when the treaters came around.
  

  • 12:25 pm
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