Comment by xg15

Won't say this is all, but I think there are some design decisions that actively push it away from that:

- No DMs

- A UI that strongly deemphasizes specific posters and emphasizes messages in an abstract "discussion tree"

- No persistent or "sticky" threads. Every discussion that takes place here will be off the front-page and essentially forgotten in a few days. There is no space where anything like "community lore" could develop. (*)

All that strongly encourages you to focus on links and messages, but not on the people behind it or on longer-form discussions.

(*) That's not quite true - if you're long enough here, you do see some patterns emerge, like reoccurring preferences or discussions emerge, and even "celebrities" whose pages get upvoted to the front page disproportionately often. But it's all implicit, observational stuff, there is not really a "water cooler" or "off topic" area for discussion. (Apart from the annual "Merry Christmas" thread maybe)