Wonderful post, @snook! I loved the analogy. You did an awesome job describing the ecosystem. It's true that we have seen many changes in here, but despite the changes, I still like it. I have 1.5 years since I discovered the platform and although I haven't been too involved in it, I love it. It's the place where I do "free therapy" through writing. I have been blogging on WP and other platforms for years and never got the community feeling as I did in here.