Excellent, Peg! Now we're getting somewhere.

Termagant, you may be right about the passive-aggressive thing...in some cases. If so, this forum is providing a public service to the very people you mention. But I think there's a far simpler explanation. The regulars come here simply because they are already used to coming here, that's all, and they've gotten to know other people here that they enjoy talking to. In my case, this is the only music forum I've ever visited. Period. It's the only forum of any kind I've spent any significant amount of time on. Mostly I enjoy it. I'm blissfully unaware of what it's like on the various other Internet forums, because I haven't been to them. Therefore, any convoluted explanation for the psychological garbage that supposedly resides behind my decision to keep logging onto this forum is mere whistling in the dark.

I have no objection to the idea of a forum that has "Guests". Some people here do. Well, from what you say it sounds like there are any number of other places they could go and be "guest-free", but I guess they are so used to being here that they don't want to.

- LH