"Proof of connection (in the comments) first begins as the cohesive dots and dashes and eventually turns into the fiberoptic cables that hold a community of bright, intelligent, aspiring, unique, and wonderful people together."
THIS here is what it is all about! I love the way you have described connection, and this truly is the bedrock of everything that follows. I especially love the fibre optic analogy! I work for a Telecommunications company and can just imagine a network of light weaving it's magic, and holding us all together as a single powerful entity, whilst retaining our individualistic qualities that we bring to the network.
As I said to @tanjakolader who commented on my post last month To curate or not, that is the question. To read, perchance to engage and upvote. Ah, there's the rub! "We can only exist as a community because we act and behave as a community. Without that we are nothing more than random strangers pursuing self interest alone, passing like ships in the night."