My take: once something gets posted here it really doesn't matter to me if I can respond directly to the author, whether it be oldnotdead or The Rams Wire or Jourdan or any other source.

Once something gets posted here it is board material regardless of the source. To the extent that it informs is a positive. To the extent that it generates discussion among us is definitely a bonus, and the fact that the original author can't participate doesn't matter to me. If oldnotdead or The Rams Wire or Jourdan say something that generates a discussion among my fellow Herdsters I will likely learn something from that discussion. (Even if I didn't learn anything from the original post!!)

I don't see how that's a bad thing.

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AlbaNY_Ram