Peter T., you are a clear voice and true, and much appreciated.

On a less sentimental note (I can't go around crying in the office, now can I?) I think the design of this environment, the 'Cat, is a wonderful study in the architecture of a social invention. Social inventions are made of communication channels and designed limits and freedoms to those channels, and some sort of principles about who is on them, and so on.

Maybe the greatest piece of social engineering in our history was the U.S.' own Constitution, not from a narrow patriotic sense but because it embodied the greatest experiment in individual freedom and responsibility yet launched in a world whose traditions were mostly based on authoritatarian and dictatorial systems. The invention sure has worked, no mistake. Not that it hasn't accumulated some sludge in its bilges over the last couple of centuries.

The Mudcat is a similarly fascinating social invention with freedoms, limits, mechanisms that are required and others which are open-ended for the participants to play at will.

The balance, due both to the intelligence of design and the intelligence and compassion of the participants is a very sturdy, high-energy, high-emotion environment that seems to be surviving beautifully. (I don't mean financially, I mean socially). It's a study in how it should be done, especially the way in which Max forebore from imposing any constraints in some areas, such that people here feel free to communicate.

Sorry for running on...just let me add that I am of the opinion that communications freedoms are a necesary part of a successful group or team...and I think Max was very smart to provide sturdy channels without constraining what went on them, sparked only by the initial core theme of the music. He done good, good, good.