My first post on CRO although i have "lurked on the site for well over a year now.  But having read this thread i felt the need to comment.  Like many on here I have been in search of the way to create the BIR taste that we all are looking for; that mystic ingredient or method that still seems to elude us all.  Some 25 or more years now I too have been looking for the holy grail.
This site is a mine of information, methods, experiences, recipes and  tips.  Above all, it is a place where like minded people with one common interest gather, pool and share their information with others in the belief that one day, somebody will make that crucial breakthrough.
But for the likes of KD and Pat Chapman, i too would be probably still be fumbling around in the wilderness, as i believe would many of us.  Had our desire to push on in search of our common goal not been spurred on by the likes of these individuals, would this site even exist??  Yes, both are shrewd business people.  They spotted the niche that any successful business person must if they are to succeed.  But by doing so they gave many of us what we needed - vital information which has stood the test of time and which many of us still use today, albeit adding our own interpretation through experience and the learnings of others.  Long may this continue.  This is a terrific site with many many seriously committed members, all of whom are here for the same reason.  It does however, sadden me, when I see unnecessary personal attacks on any individual who has made a contribution to our understanding of the mysteries of the BIR kitchen.