How many members actually read about Prog?

Back to the original topic, which was less about reading this or that book but actually about doing some research prior to posting.  As I've repeated to the point of nausea, I'm old and grew up with the music we call prog, which is a decided advantage.

I don't mind participating in a thread where a n00b is asking a reasonable question, i.e., where's a good place to start with Frank Zappa or King Crimson or Miles Davis, my assumption always being that they've never heard these bands.  For me, the obvious answer is simple:  their first album.  But in some sense, that may or may not be the best answer for someone just discovering the genres that make up prog or jazz.  I try to give the members of the forum the benefit of the doubt.  If someone has never heard FZ or KC or Miles, all of whom have formidable catalogs, and if that person may not have unlimited discretionary income (so that buy 'em all is not a particularly helpful answer), well I don't mind pointing the way to one of the more accessible and better (to my ears) albums of the band.  Certainly if someone chooses to start from album one, or even randomly buy Zappa's 200 Motels or KC's Earthbound, they may choose not to look nor go further, at least until they've recovered, in which case they'll miss much of the best.

I can never get the search function here to work.  That being said, you don't need the search function to go read the reviews here; just click on the letter.  (It took me a while to figure that out ).  If it's an "expert" (ha) opinion you desire, well there's always All Music for the core bands.  If you want really "expert" (double ha) opinions, just Google or Bing or Yahoo "<insert album name here> reviews". 

Now that being said, I doubt I would have ever heard an album from The Decemberists were it not for discussion on the forum.  Being the type who just refuses to click on "D", twas my good luck, I guess, stumbling into a thread about them, and having some kind souls suggest where to start.  So it cuts both ways for us old farts.

Long long ago, in a galaxy far far way, The Smithsonian Institute put out a six-LP box set of Classic Jazz.  The sucker runs the gauntlet, from Scott Joplin (Side 1, Track 1) to John Coltrane (Side 12, Track 4).  In between is a sampling of every major jazz artist of the 20th century.  Yeah, you can argue with a few choices, both in terms of who was included or excluded, and yes even the song choices for those who made the cut.  But what a remarkable way, for a n00b or in my case, one who came to jazz in the very early 70's, to experience and understand the history of the genre.

It's really unfortunate that there can't be a similar effort for prog.  I've seen threads that try it (the Prog canon), but don't we disagree!  Some authoritive dude at The Smithsonian needs to undertake the project, and put it to CD (if they even do that anymore).  We can then argue about who or who didn't make the cut, or that this or that song just ain't representative of this or that band.  But...then it's too late; the deal is done and the bits are in the plastic.  And...it gives everyone who cares a starting point.

Sorry, I'm ranting...