Our newest section: "Comments to MMD Postings"..

Over the years that I have been writing articles and responding to inquiries made by fellow subscribers to the Mechanical Music Digest (MMD), the editors have arbitrarily censored a few of my postings for what seemed to be unfair reasons. In all cases, the censorship came without any prior notice that the editors had decided to stop publishing postings that continued to address an on-going conversation (or thread) about a particular subject. While I understand and accept that the editors have the privilege to determine what gets published in their Digest, I feel that it is time for them to publish a Censorship Policy, and it is time for a change. To view the new "Comments to MMD Postings" pages right now, click here!

As far back as January of 1998, the editorial practices of those who edit the Digest have been questioned. On February 1, 2002, Robbie Rhodes, in an editorial comment, stated: "I haven't time to investigate all the truth and fiction which comes to MMD, nor to correspond about incomplete data; MMDigest simply disseminates the messages. We all depend upon the senders to be thoughtful and thorough when they compose their messages. (They should have learned that in school.)" However, this is not the truth. The editors DO NOT simply disseminate the messages. Occasionally, they take it upon themselves to act as judge and jury. When a member submits a posting that they (the editors) feel oversteps their undisclosed and therefore blurry line, they reject the posting. Sometimes they don't even bother to tell the member that their posting has been rejected. It just never appears.

Adding insult to injury, the editors have allowed certain members to be challenged and then refused to post the rebuttal. In my opinion, this form of Censorship is the worst of all because it shows bias and/or a lack of fairness. If it were truly the editors intention to be fair, they would not allow one member to challenge another member and then slam the door when the member who was challenged tries to defend themselves. They would leave the door open, or close the door before the challenge is ever posted in the Digest! However, the editors continue to exhibit an inability to be fair. Recently, they refused to publish yet another one of Craig Brougher's postings. Craig Brougher is a noted author who has contributed 621 articles to the MMD since 1996. As a consequence of the editor's recent and prior censorship of his postings, Mr. Brougher has elected to stop contributing to the Mechanical Music Digest.

Out of a deep respect for Craig Brougher's desire to continue educating people about player pianos and other pneumatic instruments, and in response to the (unwritten) Censorship Policy at the Mechanical Music Digest, a new set of webpages have been created at Player-Care. They will contain comments and/or articles written by Mr. Brougher in response to postings that appear in the MMD. Each webpage will be devoted to a single subject. Each page will also contain a simple form which will allow the reader/visitor to send his or her comments directly to Mr.Brougher if they so desire.

Lastly, it must be pointed out that these new webpages are not interactive. They are here for the sole purpose of allowing Craig Brougher to present information about topics which he feels will benefit those who own, service, repair and/or rebuild player pianos. At his discretion, visitor's comments may be added to the original text. To view the new "Comments to MMD Postings" pages right now, click here!

Contained within this page may be "unsolicited" links to relevant external websites which are appropriate and necessary to promote the philosophy of fair and balanced publishing. This page was last revised August 18, 2002 by John A. Tuttle, who Assumes No Liability For The Accuracy or Validity of the Statements and/or Opinions Expressed within the Pages of the Player-Care Domain.

Since "Player-Care" is an internet business, I prefer that we correspond via E-Mail (click here to fill out the 'Request Form'). However, if I'm not in the middle of some other activity, you can reach me at 732-840-8787. But please understand that during the hours from 8AM-5PM EST (Mon-Sat), I'm generally quite busy. So, I probably won't answer the phone. If you get the answering machine, please leave a detailed message stating the reason for your call. Also, repeat your name and phone number clearly and distinctly. By necessity, I prioritize everything in my life. And, if you call and just leave your name and number, and ask me to call you back, it might be a day or two before I return your call. Why? Because I don't know why you want me to call and I might not be prepared to assist you in an effective and efficient manner. If you leave me an E-Mail address (which I prefer), spell it out phonetically. The more you do to help me, the more I can help you in return. Don't rush. You have four minutes to record your message.