That is the point I was making with the BBOP thread. I have no problem with intense debate of issues, that is the stuff that inspires folklore. I don't care one whit that certain envious people make the gratuitous assertion that there never was a golden age. Call it what you want, but there was a time when this place drew fascinating people, had creative threads that were insightful, educational, uproariously funny, and friendly. People like Jean Ritchie, Frank Hamilton, Arlo Gutherie, Rick Fielding, Art Thieme, Paul Mills, Grit Laskin, Ed Trickett, Gordon Bok, Sandy and Caroline Paton, Dan Milner came here and talked about the place as "the village I always wanted to live in" . It created a cross Atlantic, indeed a world wide, community of friends, even inspiring gatherings in several countries of guests from many places like Iceland, Great Britain, Ireland and Australia. On a personal note, I owe many of the most fascinating friendships and opportunities with artists great and small entirely to this place, and the friendships created in "the good old days". Suggestions that this group was somehow "exclusive" or "elite" are a load of crap. The only requirement for entry was to walk in and start posting. If anyone felt excluded, I am sorry for that, but would suggest it was more in your mind than anyone here. What made Mudcat the site it became was that it was welcoming, and a treasure grove of collective musical knowledge. It wasn't just music either. Recipes, jokes, hell you name the subject we probably covered it.

Today, as one poster noted, it suffers from entropy. The storefronts have for sale or let signs in the windows, and folks have moved to the suburbs, driven out by a small group of arrogant and nasty posters. This surly crew has not destroyed the place, they aren't that good, but they have created an atmosphere that drives thoughtful, funny, creative people to other places. Now, having said that in support of others that remember better times, let's just set back and watch them howl. We will all probably be accused of stalking because we expressed these opinions