Honesty and respect

[Estranged Reality]

[bullshit. Like I said, I saw them in the late 80's and beyond,

Exactly. This is not the band that gained exposure in the '80s. This is not Axl, Slash, Izzy and the others - this is Axl and a group of new artists who have joined. Most general fans still thought Slash was in the band during the VMAs - they thought he was wearing a bucket on his head. Those who DO know that Slash left also typically believe Buckethead is still IN the band.

I'm not talking about people were fans of the original band - that band existed in a time without the Internet. I'm talking about the new lineup. It's impossible to follow this band without having access to the Internet - until they release an album or do press interviews.

General fans going to shows these days who DON'T use the Internet probably aren't very familiar with the current lineup, because it's virtually impossible to be familiar with them at all if you're not reading on the 'net.

And more people use these sites WITHOUT posting than you seem to think. Millions and millions, actually.

MyGNR has over 13 million visitors and I think jarmo said HTGTH has over 20 million or so - I'm not sure - but either way that's a LOT of people.