For those of you wondering how it all works--it depends on the type of forum you choose. Moderated newsgroups and many website forums like this can be read by everyone, but only those posts which comply with the sites' FAQ make it past the moderator onto the newsgroup/website forum.

That is how you control problem posters. Each post is either reviewed by the moderator before it goes out "at large" and/or the problem poster's email/IP (whatever filtering system gets used) gets blocked by the software used to run the forum.

Second, there would be no need to exclude current Mudcatters. Last time I checked, no one was holding guns to the heads of Mudcat members, telling them they couldn't read and contribute to other on-line folk music forums.

Thirdly, as to the elitism charge, it isn't a concern of mine. People asking beginner level questions can be politely referred to the FAQ, and the beginner forums on-line, or answered in the advanced forum where appropriate. It seems that some of you aren't very familiar with how other Internet discussion forums are run? With a moderated newsgroup, no one will be denied access to the expertise found in an advanced level group, because it can be read by anyone with Internet access. They just can't post potty humor, name calling, and personal attack messages.

If people don't like being held accountable to a certain adult standard of behavior, then they wouldn't have to contribute in the policed forum. They could keep posting at Mudcat, where the forum standards are more for Internet pedestrian foot traffic, than for a specialized shop.

If people think that is elitist, so be it. I am suggesting it be done to get people like me out of Mudcat, and people like the Mudcat chatters out of my way of discussing more advanced music topics in a polite and decent way. No one need take offence over it, especially if they aren't going to do the work to create a new forum.

This forum runs the way Max chooses to run it. I don't like the way he runs it, I find another place to hang my hat. If that place doesn't exist, I get together with some other like minded folk, and create it. It really is that simple.