Look at it this way:

Where else are you going to find the collection of people represented on the 'cat. We have folks with great humour (who will sidetrack to a discussion of humour vs humor), get into a debate or screaming match about mid-East politics, come to the emotional rescue of someone they were just fighting with over anything that requires their assistance, debate in depth and detail--with scholarship that would be accepted by any university in the world--then return to laugh at Spaw farting on the world wide web. The finest details of folklore are addressed, and people will get into research over whether the song could have taken place where it did because they didn't have that type of dress in the period talked about in the song. Folks will argue for their local beer because it is not only good, but essential to the existence of life as we know it, move to single malt as opposed to mixed, worry or not about spelling or punctuation, state their mind (or what's left of it) and move on. There is a gentility here that is often NOT found in the 'real' world. Someone above said that the music brings us closer, and I think that's right. However, I also think that special types of people get attracted to music in the first place, and so maybe that's got something to do with it.

We have people who have seen aspects of life no one should ever have to witness; we have people who care deeply for those around them, and who really do see the world as a global community. We have scholars who freely share their hard-won knowledge and skills. And I love the fact that there's no question that's too silly. I love the respect--some of it grudging--that's accorded William Shatner--and, it don't get much better than that.