List members,  I agree with Bob and David and the others who express
their support to share a larger body of information available to the
entire list.  As the owner/maintainer/moderator of several web sites
and chat lists, I understand the impact of today's Internet society.

I subscribe to a number of chat lists.  As an author and conference
speaker I have assembled huge research files, many from Internet
sources (realizing that Internet information requires much "validity
verification") .

Chat lists with narrowly defined discussion topics have little
respect from me, as it is not worth chasing around "here-a-topic,
there-a-topic" to determine what I want and need to know and learn.
Those lists do not draw me in.  Sometimes I don't even _know_ what
I need to learn until I read a post to cross-reference a compatible
interest of mine, opening up a new inquiry previously unknown.

This list membership excels in providing such a large arena of
topics I would hate to be deprived of anything just because I had
not pre-determined a specific subject.  This list has enlarged my
understanding of so many topics of the restoration and maintenance
of these precious machines I would never know if I had to pick and
choose individual subjects.  I am a grown man, and can determine
what I wish to read or reject myself, thank you very much.

I seldom respond to this list, perhaps as do some others here,
although I respond to others off-list on occasion to conserve
bandwidth.  However, for years I have preserved most of the messages
posted here, downloaded and printed hundreds (thousands, even) of
messages and hints that are of extreme value in a world whose view
of these incredible machines dims day by day.

Until the day I have something more worthy to contribute to this
list I do have wholehearted respect for those who do share, and my day
will come to share something of significance.  Until then, my desire
is to continue to learn from this list and glean its rich resources of
incredible information as I learn from the masters of the trade who
share and plebes such as myself who lurk and learn.

I subscribe to MMD Digest [e-mail] version, and although I no longer
have my grand player piano or harmoniums (that I sorely miss) as
I anticipate new additions to my museum I learn more and more how to
maintain the displays I do have here, anticipating future additions.
I consider this chat list to be a most valuable resource as it now
stands.  To restrict any topic would be a detriment to its excellent
resources.

Paul Kealy
StentorVox.com