Good idea, Kendall. I've not been posting to the smarmy "why are all mudcatters (fill in the blank)" satires of the original thread asking about race, which I thought was a very interesting question. I've been here about 5 months, and in the relatively short time, I've never felt like an outsider to some imagined "in" crowd. I've never felt anything but welcomed by the mudcatters. Us newer mudcatters, though, must realise that the longer people are on this site, the more likely they would have opportunities to meet each other at gatherings and form some strong bonds that were started online. One can sense those bonds on many of the postings, and it's a great thing. I can see how that could mistakenly be viewed as exclusiveness, but in my own observations and experience here, I've found the old-timers to be open to forming new bonds. It's one of the things that make this site so special. Out of respect for Big Mick's wishes, I will try to keep a lid on it when I'm tempted to defend him against name-calling attacks. This, despite my view that it's to an attacker's advantage that they can be nasty with impunity, w/o a response. But maybe I should take my own advice on one of my early posts, and ignore the flamers. It's hard to, though. One last thing - I enjoy the friendly insults and repartee that Big Mick's critic sees as an example of worthlessness posting among an exclusive "in" crowd. Again, these kinds of posts show the kind of affection and relaxed attitude friends show for one another, and once you get to know your fellow mudcatters and gauge their temperament, I'm sure you can take part. Give friendships time to develope! This is my experience of it, and my two cents worth into this discussion.

-chanteyranger