I wasn't trying to say there were carbon copies of Mudcat out there, Melissa. I was trying to say that there are sites which are probably more appropriate for the casual, "dip-in" sort of person that many newer and younger folk fans are likely to be. The majority of people who pick up a Kate Rusby or Eliza Carthy CD, or see them in concert, are realy quite happy to simply chat to other people about that CD or gig, and don't feel compelled to seek out something like the DT.

These people are still part of the folk community - if anything, they outnumber the more hardcore types like us. The point I was trying to make is that we may not see them around here, but we can't presume their non-existence. If the festival scene is anything to go by, there are plenty of them out there.

Many artists' own websites have open fora. There is also Facebook, as I've mentioned previously. Some will find the BBC folk messageboard, or the Froots one if their musical tastes are a bit wider. There are also newsgroups like the Morris and E-Ceilidh lists.

For sheer weight of useful information, MusTrad is hard to beat.