Washington Request on New Metal Detecting Blog

Peter Tompa gets friendly and cuddly with another metal detectorist, this one from the UK. In referring to Andy Baines' new blog the Washington lawyer suggests:

perhaps in future posts you can provide some additional context on your blog regarding whether you belong to any local clubs, what sorts of things have you found, etc. [...]  it would also be interesting to hear about your personal experiences with recording artifacts on the PAS database, and whether you have found it of use for research purposes, etc. 

Yes yes, let us hear about Mr Baines' research, and his experiences with the PAS. Tompa adds:

one problem I have with Messrs. Barford, Elkins and Gill is that they make value judgements about metal detectorists, collectors and dealers, but they don't have any appreciation for the practical issues facing these groups.

Perhaps we are more concerned about the practical issues that they create. Of course, if there are "practical issues' which prevent them from doing their artefact hunting, collecting and dealing ethically, then they have the choice of doing it unethically or desisting from doing it. Nobody makes them persist, these are not incurable illnesses. Note that Tompa was suggesting that it's not worth even trying to be ethical in collecting:

can one really create an "ethical collection" of ancient coins today that meets the criteria of the archaeological blogosphere and still find anything to collect? Probably not.

I disagree (here are some suggestions), and certainly do not think the issue is one that can be dismissed without any kind of deeper discussion because that is the easiest thing in the world.