> The middleground can be thought of as a combination of people, places, and events that provide a way of getting the underground communities to interact with e

> The middleground can be thought of as a combination of people, places, and events that provide a way of getting the underground communities to interact with each other. It can be a place where people gather, like a bar or a cafe. Influential people, like investors, are good at bringing different communities together. For some HN is that middleground, for others it's their higher ground to bolster ones vanity. I do agree that IRL communities are invaluable but these are not easy to find and/or fit into.