pavane, I am neither asking for your apology nor commenting on Mudcat's policy. It is your choice whether you want to appear as a helpful person or as someone who takes any apparent opportunity for self-promotion.

I remember Joe Offer advising something like: "Ask a friend to recommend your CD on Mudcat." - but what if I do not have any friend at all, or (worse) if all my friends dislike my CD? A recommendation is particularly valuable if the recommender is a trusted expert, whose reputation adds to the balance.