Wally-
I was quite active there for a couple of years and did a short stint as a staff member. I learned the hard way what hours those guys put in to manage the threads. Pretty serious time involved, and constant attention. I found myself promising more than I could deliver, and so bowed out. MIMF is a very different board from most others, in that they focus on developing an archive like a lutherie encyclopedia. So they trim and prune threads like rosebushes.
The clientele tends to be independent luthiers, with occasional appearances by the Bob Taylors of the world. (Not many of them, I'll admit...) They're just working on a different plane than most of the rest of us. People like me are luthier wannabes, not luthiers. I've built a couple of stringed instruments, and maybe understand the theory, but I get separated from the field whenever I pick up a chisel!
I still find it an amazing place to visit. Like getting a builder's knowledge I.V. line...