I am pleasantly surprised that there was a latent demand for morebysteve!

Readership is already back to where it was in January before my self imposed six month hiatus.

Thanks to all my readers! Without you I would be talking to myself even more than I am!

When I was a lad in the 80’s and 90’s we were taught to say a few words of thanks to the Discussant, answer any absolutely vital and burning questions for a minute or two and then it was on to answering questions from the distinguished crowd of academic savants gathered there to pick at your entrails!

I must have missed the memo! Everywhere I have been lately has featured long winded point by point rebuttals of discussant’s comments!! Indeed, discussants are leaving their comments ppts open and authors are systematically going through the slides responding to every comment no matter how minor!!!

Personally, I find this a boring process that takes away from the academic interchange at a conference! After flying several hundred or thousand miles through overcrowded airports on airplanes with seating made for height challenged people, the last thing I want to see is three monologues!

While it may be safer for the author than taking audience questions, it defeats the purpose of the conference format. I for one would rather have the limited time spent on true exchanges of views rather than shadow dancing between the author and the Discussant!

The AFL (Australian Football league which is like a combination of soccer, American football, Canadian football and (ice) hockey played on a cricket oval) Grand Final is the weekend!! Go Swans!!!!!