Even worse than agreeing with Clinton Hammond, I find myself on common ground with that xenophobic jerk of a former member who hates Mudcat so much that he won't go away. I am comforted by the fact that Catspaw seems to be on the same wavelength.

There has to be systematic accounting for income and expenses. Any member of Mudcat should be entitled to see this. I suspect that means incorporation. Max should get some legal advice on this. That makes it sound like I don't trust Max. I do, implicitly. I've met the man and I've got to know him from the Cat as well. However, regular funding requires proper accounting and acknowledgment.

I am also forced to agree that blocking certain people's IP is not the answer to Martin Gibson and his ilk(or rather is only a partial answer, and one to be used as a last resort). We should have simple rules of conduct that would permit heated debate but not the poisonous attacks that MG indulged in. Anyone who transgressed should be bounced, and his or her posts deleted. I respect Joe and the clones for the work they do, but MG should have been thrown out years ago. Democracy is fine, but it does not mean tolerating the intolerable. Perhaps this means that for certain threads at least, only members could post. Computer games have web forums for gamers to discuss the game and ask questions, but only members are allowed to post anything.

Now that I think about it, Clinton Hammond has said more than one sensible thing on this thread. This is a very disturbing trend.

Edmund