It's definitely totally bizarre. I think it works only insofar as there is some filter. I used to hang out one a discord for competitive programming. Many peop

It's definitely totally bizarre. I think it works only insofar as there is some filter. I used to hang out one a discord for competitive programming. Many people gave referals to other competitors, even though they may have only known each other through their online interactions around programming competitions. This worked, until it didn't--people start to show up without any interest in the topic and just referal seeking. Kind of a tangeant here, but this is how status symbols evolve. First, someone figures out that 'people who do x can do y'. Then, if y is highly desireable (say it's 'work on wallstreet' or 'become an astronaut') suddenly everyone wants to do x, and the association between x and y is lost.