*IF* one wishes to call attention to something on Mudcat at Facebook or somewhere else, it is easy enough to do so. I am not sure why making it close to 'automatic' serves any useful purpose...except as noted, for those who have a vested interest in BEING promoted widely.

Many folks arrive at Mudcat from a Google search for subjects that interest them. That, plus the option of just telling those who need to know, ought to be enough.

When a 'Mudcat' page was created in Facebook, I registered out of curiosity to see what it was about. I made NO posts and stayed about 5 minutes...still, I immediately began getting requests..(53, up to now, I think) from people asking to be recognized.....maybe ¼ of whom I didn't know. I am a resonably gregarious fellow, but I simply cannot keep up with all that, and I dislike having to figure out how to 'opt out' and ignore and block stuff. Having so many connections be practically automatic bothers me, and I wish we had been polled on this BEFORE it just appeared.

Mudcat used to have a logo saying "A magazine for blues & folk music". If it is now to be a forum for almost everything vaguely related to music, it does dilute one of the few forums anywhere that one CAN find folk/blues related stuff, and Facebook and Twitter and other 'social networking' sites being more closely connected is like having a 'party line' telephone. (trying to think of better metaphors).

There are serious reasons for ANY site to have a focus and to not overdo extraneous discussions. Our BS section is supposed to for MEMBERS to discuss our wider interests, not to bring the World in...otherwise, why prohibit posts by unnamed guests?

Let's re-evaluate what this new trick actually does, Max.