but i believe that online meet-up spots are similar to physically hosting a party. people in-the-know show up in small numbers to a place, and now the time-and-place has turned into a 'party with the cool people'.

on a graph, y-axis is coolness and x-axis is time - typical -x^2 graph where the party hits a coolest point but as time progresses, more and more people who bring noise, low energy, cynicism, and karma grinding show up and kill the party.

but well before the maximum coolness, the original people that turned the party into a real instance, they already got bored and left for the 'after party', which is just the N+1 party instance.

if we calculate how to predict N+1, the algorithm that did it is instantly invalid, so there's no answer to where the next cool party is. i believe it generally starts off as something quasi private, but with some invariable public entry that allows it to grow enough that it eventually gets ruined.

consider all the closed door parties, like private forums, that have been stable brown dwarfs that exist for almost forever - we can't list those here because it's a violation of the rules, to admit they exist.

by the time we all realize where the next place to have these cordial, bourbon sipping, armchair style message forum posts, all the cool people will already have moved into the next room in. and this room will have a coat room full of people taking their coats off, ready to move into where the perceived cool party is happening.

it's neat. i'm not in the cool party and i never will be, but it's still fascinating to get to chat with people on here who are still serious and adhere to whatever the culture here is. i liken it to how i would act differently if i snuck into a golf resort. i have no idea what i am doing but i can fake it just enough to avoid detection.