For nearly 20 years the 1.30am - 8pm era of the 100 Club + other London & Herts soul nights were enough to keep us satisfied for soul in the south. We didn't know many people, but it was pure, we loved it and it had nothing to do with the internet.
Since the internet I have met many more people (including my girlfriend at Soul Rev ). I have heard, discovered & owned many more sounds than perhaps I would have without the soul sites. Also found the appetite to travel up north again.
Both era's were good, difficult to choose between the two, one sort of morphed into the other.