"Stigweard: as an "ordinary" - if well travelled and trained - person I maintain walkaboutsverse.741.com is a good way forward for humanity, hence I'm here"

Get to fuck, wind-up boy!

"And how would that be different from ordinary people talking in person?"

A number of ways I reckon. Firstly, talking on the web enables us to express opinions we might not be so open about if we talking in person. This is a double-edges sword of course. In some ways it allows people to express themselves freely but on the other hand it also allows some rather more ugly opinions to be aired.

Secondly, it means we can talk to people from all over the world and get insights we never would have got. Mudcat has proved invaluable in this respect, and I can honestly say my opinions on some matters have changed considerably since getting an alternative view from people who were there.