This is not to criticize technology, merely to point out that it does not change our fundamental nature. Rather, it enables it. Which brings me back to communities, specifically planworld. Used to be that you would write a brief summary of what you were doing on the computer and other people would read it to see if they could help you out or vice versa. And suddenly, there was a community.
Students have discussions through plans, they schedule outings, they even propose.
Planworld is no different, really, than cavemen huddled around a fire. Or pioneers circling wagons for the night. The summer before I came to Amherst I visited my father who was stationed in Japan. We climbed Mt. Fuji together. I believe it.