I'm one of the sorta-washed (or izzat washed-up?)masses that Gonzo and the Death-Defying Dumpster Divers have extracted from the Greasy Spoon. I had a bit of an identity there and was loath to leave at first, but most of the regulars there whose comments I enjoyed left the spoon for various reasons. What was left got to be a little depressing. I still lurk there, but I haven't posted there in a long time. Can't think of much that would induce me to break silence either.
A lot of Dave's regulars (I should say, a lot of the better regulars) have ended up here, which goes a long way to explaining the sense of community. We're familiar with each other, sometimes from wayyyy back. Even when I know that I'm not likely to agree with poster X about issue Y, I still read with interest because I know this person has his or her reasons, and there's a good chance I'll either learn something useful or get a good laugh out of the post. Probably both. And that sense of familiarity, of shared respect, affects others who join, creating a continuity of, for want of a better word, civility. Ain't that how community boards are supposed to be?