Linc,
ok, I admit I'm overreacting. However.. I'm read local snapshots start deleting themselves when 80% of the disk is full. I'm a total layperson.. but, maybe that's because HDDs are said to operate best when there's at least 20% free? So if the local snapshots were indeed totally harmless, why would they need to curate themselves this way, why not just fill up ALL the free space, or 99% instead of 80%? I might be mistaken.. but in general, the more free disk space, the better, right? It means less fragmentation and more room for the system and swap space, etc... that is what I meant by cluttering up your drive. Who's to say 30% free wouldn't be better, especially considering that I almost never actually have to use TM.
Yet Apple does not even allow me to turn it off in the TM preferences, forcing power users to resort to terminal workarounds, stranding intermediate users like me since I do not mess with terminal (yes I know I must seem like a n00b but unlike, say, my mom, I can actually grasp most of the concepts invovled and am usually capable of making an informed choice about how I want my own darn computer to handle my own darn files), and of course safely guarding the dumbest...everyone's mom...um..the beginner users from having to understand anything for it to "just work". Gurrrr..