I have been on Mudcat only about 3 years, and I say it has certainly gone more British in this time. You used to get more Rick Fielding, Art Thieme etc, more blues. more discussion of guitar picking and stuff. Presumably that will swing back, there are more Americans around than British. It's just they seem more keen on talking about Iraq and Bush than Doc Watson, but presumably that is only a momentary obsession.
   The previous point, that Britain is smaller, is also I'm sure important. people are using Mudcat as a way of talking with each other, everyone being a part of an entity you might call the "Brirish folk scene". So people do chat on all the time about "Seee you in Hull on Thurs" or "who's going to nantwich" or whatever.That sets up a lot of background noise on Mudcat, it's not really musical discussion, but it sort of looks like it. I am only reinforcing what McGrath of Harlow has said here, which is what I normally do: agree with McGrath, but do it more longwindedly!