Interesting to see that this thread has re-surfaced. I started it all those months ago in what Wordsworth might have called "in vacant or in pensive mood" - idly musing on the camaraderie and friendship that seemed to exist within a certain set of Mudcat members who'd obviously known each other since early Mudcat days.

That musing was brought on by the death of Catspaw - with whom I'd had one or two personal conversations about Mudcat. I knew that he was - to use his own words - "pissed off" with what Mudcat appeared to be at that time. I read yet again through the interminable, unyielding and repetitive theads in the BS section and thought of the other names no longer appearing in posts - names of interesting and reasonable members - who had given up getting involved or posted less for the same reason: being pissed off.

When I started the thread, my thesis that people were put off posting on Mudcat by the bilious nature of the BS section was ridiculed by some people. "Bullshit" was offered as a comment. "You don't have to open or read these threads, do you?" was another. Both comments ignoring the fact that it's not just individual threads which are offputting but the general, overall nature of that section at times. And both comments ignoring the reality that some decent and interesting folks - people known to me - really had left for just this reason. What is infinitely wearisome is the personal antagonisms that get carried over from thread to thread, no matter what the subject matter.

I'm certainly not squeaky clean in all this myself and have, regretfully, exploded on occasion. None of us is perfect, unfortunately.

As Noreen and other posters have indicated, meeting Mudcat people face to face at gatherings has, for me, always been a pleasure. The last time was when Max made his last visit to the UK and a few of us met up at a pub in East London for a natter and a session. A lovely night and lovely people. A pity that seems to get whittled away by dogmatism, pugnaciousness and animosity on the forum.