[ajpiano]

I just don't buy the conclusion here. There are a lot of things where "the universe" of people who are in some way associated with X is much larger than "the X community," but that doesn't mean that the community doesn't exist.

There are lots of people who have used a radial saw, downloaded a torrent, seen a ballet, or given someone else flowers. That doesn't preclude people who enjoy hanging out with other carpenters, filesharers, dancers, or florists from believing in and participating in a community around their individual passions, even if that doesn't attract anyone who's ever put up a piece of sheetrock or put together a bouquet.

I don't dispute for a minute the notion that those communities in turn will have elements of tribalism, in-groups, customs and common beliefs that perhaps, in turn, affect who ends up participating in it.

However, the logic at the end of David's post seems to me to dismiss the notion that people who are passionate about anything should want associate with each other and deepen their connection to extend beyond it, so long as there exist people who don't want to.