Soudough,

While I appreciate that you value the community here a great deal, it doesn't mean that is what all users value. And I mean that with no flame intended whatsoever.

Not everyone who comes to Mudcat is seeking on-line community and camraderie. Some really are here to learn and to share in the website as one of many fine folk music resources on the Internet.

I don't know how many of the long-time regular members of Mudcat regularly visit and participate other folk music forums on-line, but it seems a good number of guest users do. I think that is where some Mudcat members just don't get what we are talking about. Some of us feel as though Mudcat, in comparison to other on-line forums, isn't any better a community, nor is the expertise here better than those other communities, etc.

Do you understand what I mean? As I said, I lurk in some other forums, participate on some mailing lists. They all have many fine, knowledgeable, helpful people. Rarely does a posters identity get challenged (flamers and trollers are the only ones who do). Most people in those groups do use their real life identitities, but those who choose not to aren't harrassed like they are here.

There really is a noticeable difference between this folk forum and other folk forums in this very specific (ie over guest users) regard.

When you join a mailing list discussion group, everyone is a member, and so this "us vs. them" mentality never develops. When you post to a Usenet newsgroup, you don't "log-in" you just post. Website forums which require log-ins are a sort of hybrid between those two. I admit I've never been to a website forum which allows both guest and member users to post. In that sense, Mudcat is unique. I just think that extending the membership benefits to the forum log-in is a mistake. Members could have all their benefits they currently enjoy, and the forum could be such that no one had to log on, just as guest users do now.

It seems to me the real problem here is some Mudcat members are a little too attached to their Mudcat identities. Its pretty bizarre, to my way of thinking, that anyone would make such an issue of a log-in handle as a personal "identity" anyway. But that's me.

I'm sure you are right about my opinion being a minority viewpoint here. But because its a minority viewpoint doesn't mean it should disregarded and ignored. A number of guest users this summer have complained about the treatment they have received from members. I think they have the right to be heard and should be taken seriously.

We are all users of the same forum, after all.