Hi Jon Freeman,

As a very strong fan of MUDCAT, I read your posting with great interest. Like another poster above, I also am not a "puter whiz bang kid," but I can handle my machine adequalty most of the time.

What came to my mind when I read your note was your motive. I mean no dissrespect to you sir, but what are you after?

Not being an 'dot com' guy, but being a businessman, I have always felt that MUDCAT is very ripe for exploitation. It could be structured in such a way that membership fees would be required and banners of advertising could be sold.

I would not like to see this happen. Let me draw a comparison.

Many years ago, several of us in the Seattle area founded the Pacific Northwest Folklife Festival. It has become very successful. So successful in fact, that a few years ago, the Seattle City Council explored the idea of charging an admission fee. When the word of this ploy got out, us singers (is that a term?) all wrote to the City Council. We reminded them that the success of the festival was largly due to the free and voluntary participation of the singers. We suggested that if they try to charge the public for attendance, we will charge them for performance fees. The idea died overnight.

So it is with MUDCAT. We are the site. It's our notes, freely given that make it strong.

Again, I mean no dissrespect sir. CHEERS, Bob Nelson