I began searching for lyrics and song information with the Digital Tradition years ago, and followed it over to Mudcat. I joined Mudcat because people I know and respect are members. I am grateful for Max's Mudcat, for the Digital Tradition, and for the many good and positive contributions from known and unknown moderators and many interesting 'Catters. I've given more than I could afford in financial support because I value much of what I've found here.

I've always viewed the Mudcat as an information site. As much as I value the information that can be found on Mudcat and Digital Tradition, and as much as I have enjoyed making contact with musicians around the world, the only change I would consider useful and meaningful would be to set standards for moderation and to constantly stick to them. Many of the members I came to know and respect have left as a direct result of bullying and the inconsistent moderation. The once bustling MC chat is usually empty for the same reason.

Individual responsibility for posts, individual restraint in dealing with malicious posts, and individual freedoms within any discussion are all shaped by the examples set by Mudcat's moderators and creator. Many of the best examples (and I've seen many) are shadowed by the inconsistancies.

There are some very good suggestions in this thread. Twitter/Facebook/MySpace-type bells and whistles will not, in my opinion, add anything of value to the Mudcat community without "Management" and creator taking care of business regarding personal attacks (there's a prime example a couple of posts ago) and bullying.

With respect,

maeve