Rob, when your daughter went "bleahhh" and said she wasn't coming back again, was it because of the website architecture itself, or something in the threads that she didn't like? Some of the "bully pulpit" ones (nice phrase, Spaw) would definitely put off newbies of any age. Also (if you don't mind telling us) how old is your daughter? Not trying to grill you, just curious. The age-gap is certainly a factor in folk music itself. Unfortunately.

It was definitely the website architecture. There's nothing in the threads on here that comes remotely close to the sort of stuff she sees on other forums. It was things like having to "make a blue clicky" to post a link, or use HTML to embolden or italicise something.

She's 21. Her generation (unless they're web developers) have never encountered HTML, and "expect" features like posting links directly just to "be there". Other sites I (and she) use just recognise a URL and make the link automatically, for example. Her generation don't necessarily have short attention spans (I've seen her working for hours, totally engrossed in book research, when writing History essays) but they are truly impatient, in spades, when it comes to technology. A lot of her mates won't even bother using a site if it takes more than a second or two to load...they'll just move on to something else. I've seen them gasp in frustration and move on to something else when it's barely registered with me that a load is in progress!

And there definitely seems to be a folk revival among more "musically discerning" youngsters...most of the bands her friends play in do quite "folky" stuff. More Fairport Convention than Copper Family, true, but they're leaning in the direction. More of them are ripe for "connecting with tradition" but if the tools available for doing it are too archaic (in their eyes) they simply won't.