Well I know this probably goes for others too, but I really appreciate the time you take to help others that might not have as much experience as you. And I thank you, and all the others who have helped me by patiently answering questions over and over again and posting the information where it is accessable to others. And by doing tests and experiments and telling others of the results. Having someone actually say, "X does/doesn't cause Y and I know because I've personally tested it." and knowing that they really know how to carefully set up these experiments and test certain variables, gives me a good idea of who I should listen to and what info is probably true. Being able to trust this info saves me the the time and frustration of learning it the hard way and certianly helps dispel the misinformation that exists everywhere.

I also believe the internet is something new that "old-timers" didn't have the luxury of using, and since its introduction to the public, has slowly been dissolving the old myths. The internet provides a common place for people all over the world to meet and share their ideas. It also in essence creates a database of all this information and provides a record of everyone's activity and conversations. This makes it easy to show the progression of the hobby, and an observent person can see the mistakes/misunderstandings of the past and the response/answers of the present. I think this will be a big help in the future for keeping a newcomer's mistakes/misunderstandings to a minimum. There IS a lot of conflicting information on the internet, but a diligent person can usually piece together the truth.

A site like this, APC, TPT.net, and others is a wealth of information and a great place to come and learn. From these 3 places, and the experienced members there, I have learned almost everything I needed to know and found an answer to almost every question I had. I feel that these forums are probably the most valuable tool for any hobbyist wanting to learn more.

All of these things have been a big help in moving the hobby forward, and hopefully the wheel will need to be reinvented less and less, and instead we can focus on using it to take us to the next level. When I gain enough experience I'll be able to pass on what I've learned and give back to someone new.

So to Tom & all the "Gurus" on these forums (and really, anybody willing to help others & share their experiences): thanks again for taking time out to read these threads and answer our questions everyday, and leave a record for future hobbyists to learn from.

-Mike B-