Well, gnu, I know GfS directly (outside of Mudcat) and have never found him to have any ill intention to anyone. Have also found him to be friendly, really interesting to talk to, and genuinely very enthusiastic about music. People here are often reacting to GfS's banter when reading it as if they pictured him having a mean scowl or a nasty sneer on his face while he's typing it. He doesn't. His motives are being misjudged due to the fact that several people here have long since decided to make him a personal "enemy" of theirs (mainly due to political squabbles) and they therefore read everything he posts with their mind already made up on what kind of shithead they think he is...and they picture this very nasty person in their minds....a person who simply does not exist!

That gets pretty silly. I question it. It's an overreaction to a preconciption which does not jibe with the actual reality of who GfS is.

And that's why I question it.

I realize that for those who have their minds made up already, nothing I say will ever make any difference, they won't change their minds no matter what, and I figure thare's nothing I can do about that, right? But that's how it stands.

Good-natured banter is not personal attack.

If any of us "regulars" posted a link to a music video (or anything else whatsoever really) on the MOABS, no one here would see any reason to object to it...because they do not treat each other the way they do GfS (the "outsider").

Sounds like any small club anywhere to me. The familiar members get all kinds of slack...their banter is taken as banter...their links are not questioned. Visitors, specially some visitors, are regarded with suspicion. Their banter is taken as a personal attack of some kind on someone. Their links are scorned. Their character is questioned. Any attempt they make to defend their character is taken as further evidence of how rotten they are.

Sort of like coming up before the Inquisition...only with far less serious consequences, fortunately, because people here are powerless to act on their dislike toward other people.


*****

I found the Biff Rose links quite interesting. I can't see any objection to having them on this thread.