I have been catching up this evening on what has been happening in this thread in the last few weeks. One of Rok's recent comments struck me as very strange: "One of the problems with this thread is that, too many posts are directed at, and posted for the benefit of the 'viewers' , and not directed at their fellow posters."
Huh? The whole point of posting on an open forum is so many people can read what you are posting. This thread is not a private conversation, it is a public one. If you want it to be private, you should exchange email addresses and have your conversation that way.
I personally feel that the biggest reason that there aren't very many posters on this thread is that some of you (including the OP) have made it crystal clear that you do not welcome (or even have any respect for) views that disagree with yours, regardless of the relative merits of the opinions expressed. Many have commented on this here over the last few years and have been ignored, laughed off, and even vilified. These attitudes just don't lend themselves to the participation of others, which is a real shame, as this thread was an excellent idea and it still has many excellent posts in it. I will take my share of the blame for saying some things in a way I probably shouldn't have in response, which always turns people off. There is a reason I am a musician and not a writer. I have stuck with this thread, though, and will probably continue to, as I have learned a great deal from it.