There are a number of people who post on Mudcat who identify themselves only as "GUEST" and who have a serious question or contribution. This is fine. Some of them move on; some join and use their name or adopt a handle, or at least add some identifier to the GUEST label. But especially lately, there have been some who are roughly the equivalent of street-corner louts with cans of spray-paint, and all they do is clutter up the forum with exhibitions of their own inadequacies as human beings. They are to be pitied and ignored.

The problem with identifying oneself only as "GUEST" is that nobody knows which species any specific GUEST happens to be. That's not a successful formula if one wishes to be taken seriously.

My computer is going into the shop for a day or two for some maintenance and to have a couple of new goodies installed (a CD-RW drive so I can burn my own CDs -- Whoopie!!), so I'll be gone for a bit. I hope the silly-season has passed by the time I get back.

Don Firth