I always wonder about people who create web sites tracking things like the "silent penultimate panel." I once saw one that had an apparently quite exhaustive list of songs that repeat the chorus in a new key towards the end for variety. I had the same reaction as you (is it THAT wrong?), along with thinking, "is this really so important that someone has made it their avocation to fight it?"
yes, it seems like kind of an odd rallying point... when I think about, it seems like a good use of silence and timing is to becommended, even if its sometimes a bit predictable,
the other site you mentioned... is that the 'truck driver key change'? I think that site makes a slightly better case...
i guess i get the complaint - it *is* a terribly overused pacing device. but, since the reader bears the burden of interpreting the pacing, i can't complain about any technique that makes it simpler.
but you have to be pretty militant about 'SPP' usage to devote a blog to it!
Or very hungry for attention.
Not that I'd know anything about that. *whistles innocently*.
But I do have to say, I enjoy the surreal grace of just showing the silent panels, a bit like that old James Bond snippet film http://www.monochrom.at/actionfilm/