I would personally be impressed, if I didn't already know about Mudcat, to be told that:

People actually discuss real subjects of mutual interest, and have their own actual opinions, and/or their own thoughts on the opinions of identified others.

Participants write actual sentences with (mostly) intelligible grammer.

Emoticons are only rarely seen (and only when appropriate and actually useful to convey meaning).

The are no flashing graphics, illegible "backgrounds," idiotic pasted cartoons, blaring music clips, or other inane distractions from the communication.

***

Of course, anyone who hasn't been here to see it will never believe all those things can be done on "the modern web."

John