It's like saying that cars were never invented, becuase those elements existed before, and some one discovered that particular arrangement to give a car... Lol, but i think that's a good parrallel.
Well, i've begun tapping, and i've come up with something fairly cool, and it's pretty fast too... you'r fretting hand taps normally. But on your index finger on your other hand, you put a glass slide, and tap with it.
it's wierd, cos you get very rapid increases and decreases in pitch, if you tap with slide so that the pick up is in between your slide, and the fret board...
I've expalined it badly, i'll have to record it, and post it.