the web is full of people, bumping up against each other in the dark. there are still only a few architectures in place to create more structured encounters. for centuries, cities, buildings and rooms have created a myriad of opportunities for people to interact in many different ways. want to spend three hours with a thousand strangers? go to a coliseum. want to bump and grind with a stranger? go to a discotheque. want to look at people? go to a promenade. want to bump and grind with a stranger? go to a public basketball court. etc.
online presents even more opportunities for strangers to come together, interact in new ways and then drift apart. to date, relatively few such opportunities have been created.