My philosophy is that we're not just answering questions here. We're building the world's largest database of useful information about folk music (loosely defined), including lyrics, tunes, information about recordings, links to other useful sites, etc. Information posted here is not only for the benefit of the people who ask for it, but for unknown hundreds or thousands of people who might search for that information in the future. Therefore, the information needs to be organised in a way that makes it easy to find.

I have to first question why the philosophy of someone who can't even use a regular name should be imposed on contributors who are prepared to be known and stand by their philosophy?

This philosophy is not a unworthy one and is perhaps one that a name could be put to? I only question if it is one that really fits with Max's historical model of what this public discussion forum should be or if it is a philosophy that is at odds with his public statements on this?

There is some confusion between The Mudcat proper ie Max's website and the part that he has given over for the public's contributions - The Discussion Forum.

Can I suggest that the answer is to use The Mudcat proper to build a database and to extract from the discussion forum the information freely provided by the public and where this information can be organised eleswhere on the site - as your philosophy requires? Hopefully always correctly crediting (and linking) the source of this information?

This would leave all of our forum free for all of our contributions to remain unchanged, unedited and uncensored - just as they were posted.........Would this be the best solution?