I have the internet to thank for the fact that I am still a central member of my boston/college alums community that make up my closest friends, and still a peripheral member of other boston communities that I was a peripheral member of when I left 6 years ago. I also have many frequent visits to thank for it, but a number of other people moved away at the same time and I (while no more loved than the other people) continue to be a member of the community in ways that they are not, and I think it's due to the fact that I made a conscious effort to use the internet for this purpose.