I find it interesting that thread is one of three current threads on the same or similar subject-whether Mudcat should continue to have a music/folklore section and a non-music {BS} section or more than these two sections.

Just for the record, the other current threads on this subject {or near enough in my opinion} are A non-political BS section, please?! started by katlaughing on 03 Sep 06 - 09:49 AM and BS: Non- Music section. started by Divis Sweeney 03 Sep 06 - 07:14 PM.

I'm not sure why there needs to be three current threads on basically the same topic, but I'm not complaining. Maybe the individuals who started the second and third thread felt that their twist to the subject was important.

I decided to post in this thread because it had the least number of posts and I usually side for the underdog.

When I first came to Mudcat, I never posted below the line. I didn't even read the BS threads after trying one or two times because I didn't "get" it- "it" being the connections that people have who post there and what they were talking about. It's like trying to watch a television soap opera and not knowing the characters or the plots. It's so difficult if you have nobody to explain what's going on to you.

I finally took the plunge to the BS section after someone {I can't remember who} wrote a comment in one of the music threads encouraging me to visit a BS thread on mummers. And so I went, and I've been a poster below the line-and above the line-ever since.

There have been times that I have vowed never to post below the line again, but I keep coming back and reading and posting or even starting BS threads. Why? Because I like the wit & humor of the BS threads. I like learning about different cultures. I like exchanging comments real time-or near real time-with folks in places I'll probably never visit. At least for me these "getting to know all about you" conversational exchanges occur more often below the line than in the music sections. And at least for me, these types of exchanges [the non-contentious ones] are the heart of Mudcat and what I like most about this community.

In one of these three current "should we have a BS section" threads-it's hard for me to I can't tell them apart-someone mentioned that Mudcat was not a community. And another poster agreed. I disagree with this opinion. I believe that Mudcat is a community that has cliques and counter-cliques, divisions and sub-divisions, loners, and gregarious joiners. This is just like any brick & motar community or real life organization.

I don't know all the people in my community, and I don't like all the people who I do know in my community. All the people in my community don't know me, and all the people who do know me don't like me. That's to be expected. Why should I think that an online community would be any different?

Rodney King asked "Can't we all get along". I used to think the answer was a very simple "Yes". Now I believe the answer is a very complicated "No". And I've learned to live with that while doing the best I can to do the best I can.

None of this may have anything to do with the price of beans in Boston. But it's my two cents and I'll spend it the way I wanna.