MTed said:

The problem that you, and everyone one else, has with tab, is that it is doesn't tell you how the rhythm of is played--this is a big problem, and it makes it impossible for anyone to learn how to play a song just by looking at the tab--

True enough; the really good pre-internet tab I first encountered back in the mid-60s always indicated time in the same way that standard musical notation does ~ either by adding the "stems" or "flags" of quarter-notes and eighth-notes. etc., to the numbers on the strings, or by printing the regular sheet music staff immediately below the tablature. And even with the greatest possible detail, most readers still need to have heard the piece first in order to make sense of it.

A lot of the "tab" we see today (especially on the web) is quite a bit cruder that that. However, most halfway-decent tab at least marks off measures coherently, and many tab-writers try to use horizontal space consistently (e.g., letting every three "monospaces" ~ like [---] or [-1-] ~ represent an eight-note's worth of time).

HOWEVER: in the case of most fingerpicking "patterns" or exercises, it's usually pretty safe to assume that the thumbstrokes are on a steady 4/4 beat. That's certainly true for all the little bits of tab I posted, and most if not all of what we got from Kaleea and Patrick. If you're capable of internalizing this relatively simple idea, you can observe which treble notes fall on the beat with the thumb/bass notes (i.e., which treble notes occur as "pinches") versus which treble notes fall on the half-beat between the steadily pulsating bass notes. (In other cases, where a song might be in 3/4 time and there are three thumbstroked bass notes per measure rather than four, the same principles apply.) What more could you possibly need to know about the rhythm?

In my own experiences working from tab, there were times when I had to master the basic mechanics of playing the notes without regard to meter at first, and then to fgure out how to make the thumbstrokes fall on a steady beat, and other times when I could keep the beat steady (if agonizingly slow) while first learning the notes and the finger movements.

Back to MTed:

...you have to have heard the piece you are playing(and have kept it in your head)--and that assumes that you have mastered the finger movements-

Well, yes, it is pretty much necessary that you have heard the piece -- you certainly need a basic grasp of how the song goes, if not an exact memory of every note of the guitar part. But I disagree quite strongly with the contention that a good secure knowledge of how a piece sounds requires that you already know how to move your fingers to play it!

On the contrary, I would contend that all you need to work up a new bit of fingerpicking (new to you, that is) is:
1) Some basic skill at playing a simple pattern or two, with the beginnings of an ability to insert a few variations, and
2) Either a clear idea ~ a "sound in your head" ~ of some new and different wrinkles you'll need for your next effort, or some kind of guideline to copy from (tab, "dots," audio/video, etc.)

The one thing Ted says that I most agree with is in his final paragraph, where he observes that "TMI" (too much information) can be overwhelming, and that effective learning demands that things be broken down step-by-step. Those who dare to be self-taught are responsible for breaking things down for themselves ~ as someone noted above, the thing to do with the potential "information overload" found in a thread like this one is to print it out and then take the time to work through selected bits one at a time.

Where I disagree with Ted is his contention that everyone requires a teacher to make sure everything is being done "right." I realize that being a music teacher is an honorable (and difficult) pursuit, and I don't mean to undermine any fellow Mudcatter's efforts to make a living, but I absolutely insist that some people can become excellent folk musicians without extended formal instruction ~ by listening to recordings and live performances; by studying books, sheet music, tablature, etc.; by watching other, better players; and by seeking personal consultation (i.e., "tips") when the opportunity arises.

Nobody is truly and completely "self-taught," but some folks can progress very well, thank you, while fully in charge of their own musical education, supplementing private study from recordings and books/printouts with occasional Q&A sessions with ad-hoc "instructors" (friends and acquaintances) whenever the opportunity arises (e.g., at song circles, jams, etc.)