No, Backwoodsman, it's beyond that, and it's a problem that has existed for a long, long time. Many British singers have apologized to me for the small group of men who have dumped such a constant presence of animosity on Mudcat. It gives the whole forum a bad taste, and it chases people away because the animosity is almost frightening.

I know a lot of singers from all over the world, and very few are obsessed with combative conduct as our small, male group that has such a dominant and unpleasant presence. It's not normal behavior, and it's not the normal conduct of folk musicians. Most of us are a gentle lot. We come together to enjoy each other, not to do battle.

-Joe Offer-