MMario, there are different ways and means of exclusion. The physical way would be some mechanism whereby people are incapable of logging on, but other forms of exclusion exist. Look at any school yard where all the kids are playing. Nobody is physically prevented from being in the playground but some of them are excluded from the other's games. "She's too bossy!" "He looks funny." "He doesn't understand how we're playing." "She always wants to be the princess." Your statement that the Mudcat is not exclusive needs some backing up. The mudcat can exclude easily on the basis of ignoring posts from various people; something that has been admitted to by several mudcatters. It can exclude by ridiculing or attacking everything a poster says; the basis of some of the concerns that people have had about the effect of flamers in the forum. Mudcatters can refer to specific other Mudcatters frequently without seeming to notice other newer members. No disrespect intended towards Big Mick but a lot of people have talked about Big Mick and what a wonderful person he is etc, but since I've been posting he hasn't posted an awful lot. How much do you have to post before someone starts mentioning your name? Conversations can be started on one thread and continue into other threads without a great deal of regard for what the threads are about which leave the people interested in the subject of the thread feeling a little bemused and wondering what's going on.People can and are defended on the basis of who they are but not necessarily on the basis of what they say. Allan C. did a great job of fingering a feeling when he started the lively thread about killing threads. Clearly there is a feeling sometimes among people that they are ignored or excluded.