Every fall there's a pickin' party where all the folkies of River City bring their instruments and play tunes by ear. It is so boring. People spend 20 minutes trying to think of a tune most will know. Then they play it for 5 minutes, in unison, with no variations. Then they spend another 20 minutes trying to think of another one.

If somebody would prepare a list or bring their copy of the dots, it would reduce the delays, but nobody wants to do that because it would dilute the purity of their 'playing by ear.'

Oh well, as others have said here, there are advantages to both ways, playing by ear and having the dots.