Sorry.....Just checking in from the porn chat rooms.

Actually Russ, Bill has answered you quite well. Several years ago we began a long period of dealing with Music vs. BS threads and it was generally believed to be in bad form, poor taste, aggravating, angering, etc.....to some of our folks that anyone would make a joke on a serious music thread. This is a Folk and Blues Forum and some people are here strictly for the music end of things. Others have come for the music and also for the discussions and I suppose there are a few now who don't care about the music at all, but I doubt that number is significant. For BS and Music to live side by side we all agreed in one way or another to some basic "rules." They aren't written down, but they exist as a matter of courtesy and to keep the peace.

One of those unwritten rules is that no one pulls a hi-jack on a music thread. I think you'll find that the participants on any given music thread may make a few jokes here and there, but the focus is on answering the question, doing the research, etc. This is as it should be and that "agreement" has not been violated much to my knowledge and certainly we have far fewer debates over the "Music versus BS" issue.

BS on the other hand is simply BS. As Bill said, its a discussion forum and about anything goes. How can you categorize BS? "Hey man.....This is SERIOUS bullshit!!!" C'mon, gimmee peace.......geeeziz.......If you don't like the way a discussion is going, head it off elsewhere and if nobody goes along it could be because nobody cares. You know it works both ways of course don't you? AS one of your "chief offenders" I can tell you that I am often completely shut out. I make some joke and the sucker is completely ignored......and that's OK too. Its BS fer chrissakes! From another thread, you said:

From: GUEST,Russ Date: 17-Nov-00 - 12:50 PM

I am happy to let people leave. I've never been one of the "Please Stay" posters. I don't need additional participants to validate myself and my participation in Mudcat. If people have a problem with Mudcat it is truly THEIR problem.

I think you're right. BS is BS.......Let's not try to "qualify" it somehow. Change the subject as WW and others have suggested. You can bring it back if others agree and want to discuss it. Not in all, but in some, the thread has pretty well run its course by the time it gets nuts anyhow. If you want some real insight on how to keep a thread on track til YOU are done with it, go read the posts of McGrath of Harlow.....he's an expert!

I gotta' get back to Pornchat......I had a great talk going with a cross-dressing, transvestite, transsexual with a foot fetish, who's in to BDSM and necrophilia. Hope it hasn't left.

Spaw