Ed,

When I first fell into the 'Cat I had no idea at all how it worked and was in fact brand new to the Net. I was looking for blues sites but while here I asked for a song... and only came back because I wanted another look at the blues museum. And THAT was when I happened to notice the song title I'd requested in the Forum list, and learned that the songs get posted in the thread. I wasn't rude-- I was new.

I repaid what I could by taking on the job of answering ALL e-mails for over a month-- letting people know to come back to the Forum for replies. Some did, and joined. Of those who did, a few are genius musicians and a few are BSers, who also search music out for the rest of us. (And I am sorry to say that at least two of the new members who joined when I did, although I didn't help them join as much as just helped welcome them, were so disturbed and outraged over the way arguments are handled here that they left, and we are poorer for their departure. If they are lurkers, they know who they are--- come back!!!)

Life here got real busy then and that volunteer job is now open for someone else to fill, especially another newbie who would like to help the Mudcat in some way and does not know how to do much yet. I have a good set of boilerplate e-mail messages available for anyone who wants the job--- mostly Joe Offer's work but some mine. Now that we have a newcomer's FAQ in the making, maybe we will have better luck incorporating them.

And, I know this has been said before, but I'll say it again for anyone who's new enough not to have heard it, no posted song is a waste. No new link for us to use is either. We have all found a new dearly loved song from something someone else origianlly asked for. The most important thanks, (IMHO), is just taking the song and doing some good with it.

~Susan~