It's rather amusing how some people last a few posts on MB and then cry about it being crap. One review here whines about being banned for linking to his or her music. Dude (or dudess)! It's in the rules, which if you read them state clearly we do not want people joining for the sole purpose of promoting their music. And there are reasons for this. Firstly, there are a hundred sites you can do that on. Music Banter is primarily a discussion forum. We want to know that you are coming here for the (ahem) banter, and intend to take part, not that you are a drive-by who will drop links to your music and then sod off. THAT's why you were banned. So be honest about it. It's not a reason to pan the site just because you couldn't be bothered to follow the rules.

I've been on the forum for about fourteen years, on and off, with some hiatuses. It annoys me when people reduce it to the kind of terms they are doing here. These people know nothing. Most forums today are generally used by people who may know each other in passing but are just commenting on this or that. There's no sense of community. One thing you get on Music Banter is that: community. We're more like a family - a very dysfunctional one, sure, but isn't everyone's family like that?

Since joining here I have made some serious and long-lasting friendships, and been exposed to some great music. No, we don't always discuss music, but that's the second part of our name, and we like to banter. There's nothing that says you have to be talking about music all the time. The people here have both got me through some terribly tough times and have helped others in their worst hours. We band together and support each other, and we also tear verbal strips off each other, call each other gay and invite each other to kill themselves and kiss various dubious parts of our anatomy, but it's all, as Kenny Everett once said, in the best possible taste.

I've had more engagement with these guys and girls than many a real life friend, and it's often been only their support and companionship which has kept me going from times were dark, which is why, despite leaving several times, I always come back, and I always will.

As for the journals, this is specious accusation. How can there be "no engagement" in journals? Are we, as authors, supposed to try to force people to comment? If anyone bothered to check the views for these journals, they would see that many are in the five or six-digit range: I have one (no longer maintained) that came close to half a million views. Not bad for "no engagement" huh?

Do me a favour: if Music Banter doesn't suit you, fine, go somewhere else. But stop bad-mouthing us on the basis of a very short, and in your experience, negative stay. You have no idea what you're talking about. This place may look like Hell to a newbie, but it's our Hell, and we likes it that way. We're friendly and engaging once you get to know us (well, some of us. Maybe) and we know the value of good discussion, good music and good relationships.

I joined Music Banter aged 45. I'm 50 this year and still here, and expect to be still around (assuming I'm alive when I'm 70, or even 80. That's how good this place is.