Back in my nights-at-the-gay-bars era I used to consider a good, conversation over beer just about as good as finding a hot trick to go home with. Eventually I aged out of the bar-nights and hot-tricks routine. There were some political and religious groups that served the conversational need, but those are pretty much all dead. I worked at a place in the late 80s where about a third of the employees engaged in an intellectually stimulating approach to the work. That was ideal.

All people need places to make connections; some people need places to interact intellectually. PhilosophyForums was the best thing (since 2008, for me). Connection + intellectual interaction.

There is much about this academic field philosophy that I find a bit dry, even arid. Other less academic parts interest me more.