The social scientist Ray Oldenburg talks about how humans need a third place, besides work and home, to meet with friends, have a beer, discuss the events of the day, and enjoy some human interaction. Coffee shops, bars, hair salons, beer gardens, pool halls, clubs, and other hangouts are as vital as factories, schools and apartments [“The Great Good Place”, 1989]. But capitalist society has been eroding those third places, and society is left impoverished…

This article argues that online communities have become third places for people, particularly programmers and others who spend a huge percentage of time online. It’s an interesting article, but i still believe that most people use digital interactions to aid in RL ones.