It's one thing to talk and quite another to do. In order to really get things done you need the group to engage in real in-person time together, even if it's just for coffee. Nothing gets done without this, because promises made to take responsibility for something online are totally different than in person. If you say that you will make sure that the dog and pony ballet act will be present for the group's launch ceremony at the in person meeting and they don't show up, you're officially a loser. If you actually produce the spectacle, you're winning. But having real life meetings is difficult unless people are being paid to be there because meetings suck. A lot of people who do activism don't seem to understand this. Meetings suck. Old time machine politicians used to have plenty of free food and lots of beer to get people to turn out for elections and rallies. They had a band and dancing too. Watch Oh Brother Where Art Thou? But what we are doing right here is not really conducive to action of any kind. As far as it bringing people together for a closer understanding, I'd say that the contrary is true. You've avoided these knuckleheads your entire life, and here they are up in you face calling you a moron.