The Life and Death of Great Virtual Cities

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Friends. The great Clive Thompson  (Wired, The Times Magazine, New York) is doing some writing on virtual communities and how and why they hold together. He is actually writing a book, and I think he may well be covering more than that. But this morning we spent an hour or so talking about The Horde, much of it concerned with what works and what doesn't. As you guys know, I've been very interested in this question.


At any rate I mentioned to Clive that you guys have a Facebook group and have had meetups here in New York, in Washington D.C. and in Chicago. (Anywhere else? Seattle maybe?) Clive was interested in talking to some of you about this community and how it works. I'm opening this space hoping you guys can share any insights. Clive will be jumping in to conversate. Please share your experiences.

On a sidenote Clive is one of the most interesting thinkers I've ever had the luxury of interacting with. When we were talking this morning he had an ability to take the long theories of community I was expressing, and render them in five words. (That's his headline.) He is also the spouse of the best television critic in the business, Emily Nussbaum. Their kids will one day rule us all. Watch out.
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Ta-Nehisi Coates is a senior editor at The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues. He is the author of the memoir The Beautiful Struggle. More

Born in 1975, the product of two beautiful parents. Raised in West Baltimore -- not quite The Wire, but sometimes ill all the same. Studied at the Mecca for some years in the mid-'90s. Emerged with a purpose, if not a degree. Slowly migrated up the East Coast with a baby and my beloved, until I reached the shores of Harlem. Wrote some stuff along the way.

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