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It sounds like you and your friends run a very nice online neighborhood, that's terrific and I don't mean to detract from that.

I'm pointing out the enormous difference in bandwidth between online and in-person interaction. It's difficult even to estimate the orders of magnitude!

Online interaction can be a healthy adjunct to a healthy social life. It's when online interaction replaces in-person interaction that we evidently get a mental health crisis.

> what's your definition of a meaningful social space?

Thanks for asking. I would start with Christopher Alexander's "Pattern Language" et. al.[1] and add in applied ecology (i.e. Permaculture, Greenway[2])

The idea being if the neighborhood is comfortable and full of life the meaningful social relations should hopefully follow. (And if not, at least you're comfortable and well-fed and not causing anybody any problems.)

[1] https://www.livingneighborhoods.org/ht-0/bln-exp.htm

[2] https://newalchemists.net/2020/09/07/greenway/




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