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Somehow I doubt my observations of this week were as detailed as Al's last week, I still would like to discuss something that's been nagging me.

Everyone has a different opinion about the paper readings we do in class. Some hate having their work hashed over in public, others don't really mind, and still others enjoy the experience. I cannot make broad sweeping claims about how the class views our paper critiques, because my opinions are not the opinions of the entire class.

I can, however, state with confidence that the honesty and sincerity of our critiques in class have suffered since each author's name has been revealed. That is not to say that I personally object to this practice, it's merely an observation.

We are now much more gentle with our critiques, much less likely to say "this paper has no thesis" than "you might want to think about rewriting your thesis". While we are dampening public embarassment, are we not also impeding the growth of each author if no one feels comfortable saying "I think this paper's evidence needs more support"?

The class paper editing process clearly needs to be revised, but I am not the one to say how.