I must admit that my own visits to the HearMe have sometimes caused me to switch into "Host" or "moderator" mode, because that's the role I often fulfil at live sessions and I'm just naturally bossy.

The silences and seemingly endless keyboard conversations do seem to be a bit of a waste of the aural resource, but everyone (including me) appears inhibited lest they be thought a "mike hog". (Mbo seems the least thus inhibited!)

Jacko and I have had quite long and rambling conversations when we've been alone on the channel, and probably there are others who do the same. The concept of talking to a friend in NZ for a penny a minute appeals to my Yorkshire/Scottish/Jewish ancestry!

We don't want to make HearMe so structured that it is no longer fun, but some ground rules could well be agreed, whether for Halloween or whenever.

In live singaround sessions you soon get to know those whose repertoire is limited and those who will go on all night unless curbed. Melodeon players are worst, I find, fortunately we don't get too many of those on HearMe!

As an experiment, I would be happy to act as Host or Moderator for an early (2230 UK, 1730 Mudcat) session, provided (a) all concerned would be happy for me to do so and (b) we had a sufficient number of participants (say 5 or 6). The aim would be to have someone singing or playing for most of the time, and typed conversations could go on in parallel.

Comments eagerly awaited.