I really don't see why registration is a big deal at all... nearly ever single Message Board in cyberspace these days requires some form of it or other... and with that you get a heck of a lot.. most sites will allow a registered user to customise thier settings, change font and colours, have a neat avatar ect... all chrome, I admit, but what on the internet isn't chrome? A registerd user of MudCat gets a persoal Page to swap messages and?? I donno 'cause I've not really looked around that much... Am I missing anything good?

Registration can hardly be considered to be exclusionary when everybody can register with a email addy, a user name and a password.... Who can't comeup with that?? If you have a home email account that you don't want to give out, start a hotmail account under an assumed name, or other free internet based email and use that one... ICQmail offers good service, and one doesn't have to put up with the Micro$atan Network...

As far as cookies go... I don't know much but I do know that other MB's that I frequent give you the option of 'saving' the info on yer 'puter as a cookie... if you chose to NOT do that, then you can write down all yer info on the back of a business card and you'll have to manually enter your Email, Username, and pass every time you visit... Is that really that big a deal?? That maybe you have to visit one more screen and maybe type 20 or 30 characters?

If this is really such a big deal, then maybe Max should give some thought to moving the MB to a differnt service.. one that'll offer all these features that I've mentioned above...

I've said it before, if yer really this paranoid that registration for a music MB creeps you out, you must really be one hurtin' unit... Do you not go outside for fear of falling stars? Have you not registerd to have a drivers licence? No credid cards...

Big Brother isn't watching now any more than he was 100 years ago... He just doesn't care...