There are 5 or 6 guys in my market that play the same venues as I. We are friendly comptitors, but competitors all the same. Consequently, some of the conversations among us are a bit guarded.

Here at SZ, most of us who play for a living are not competiting with one another and can share all kinds of info openly without fear of reprisals. Personally, I have found that very refreshing and feel like I am among friends who genuinely are devoted to their craft and willing to help each other.

The requests for help I made after getting my PSR 2000 were answered quickly by SZ members, some of whom even called by phone to help, and on their own dime. The same was true when I decided to upgrade my speakers. I, in turn, have helped others who were also learning. And, I particularly enjoy hearing the personal experiences unique to the biz that most here have shared.

I have also purchased equipment from a member. The deal was all it was expected to be and both of us have become long-distance friends even though our ages and lifestyles are very different.

What I don't like: the feeling that I get on days I can't access SynthZone. The day is not complete without one visit.

I regard the occasional skirmishes that arise as petty and chalk a lot of them up to misunderstandings inherent to quickly composed printed communication which is common on many forums.

If you see something that you don't like...CLICK...it is gone. Move on. No need to make a federal case out of it. There is way too much good to be gained than to dwell on the things that bother you.

Kudos to Nigel.

Eddie