What makes a community? (was:Here's Something that might...)

[Arin the Eloquent]

A community, by definition, is a group of centric people with a unified locality, common background, or common history (as provided by Merriam-Webster and a few tweaks of my own personal thoughts).

Now, before I came here, I used to browse a particular site. It's pretty much become my Internet home. I've been there for three or so years, and it has it's rag-tag comedians and bunches of people that make the place lively, while also having its fair share of generic lowlife assholes and degenerate lowlifes who always talk in leetspeak bcuz tey tink its kewl.

But lately, something has been bugging me about said community: whenever I log on, I expect someone different to approach me with ideas, a new person to spark up an interesting conversation about the political and social issues of our world...yet I get nothing, and am forced to spend my time on there with the same people over and over. Granted, they are amazing people, and I would give up something to return them a favour of equal value, however, one such as myself can only take this appreciation so far.

So I've scoured the Internet looking for new and interesting people to talk to, simply because of the fact that I grow tired of dealing with the same people day in and day out. I want to see and talk to fresh new faces to share my ideas with and gain the appreciation of as many people as I can, instead of just one regular, boring sect of people.

What makes a community to you? What defines a community? Is it the influx of new members staking themselves and making themselves known, or is it the elite four (lul Pokemon) that have entire control over what everyone does and thinks, or something in the middle?

Share your thoughts with I, and perhaps some common ground might reveal itself to us.