Many here have been corresponding for many years on iris forums of various sites and have developed wonderful friendships. In the 3 years I've been active on this forum, we've grieved the loss of our beloved Polly (who used to be a moderator of this forum), we've supported each other through personal battles and health issues, and shared all sorts of aspects of our lives. Because of that history and closeness, many of us read each others posts already knowing each others personalities and have a pretty accurate impression of the intended tone. For example, most of us know Bonnie to be the most loving, witty, intelligent, and generous person one could hope to correspond with, and understand that she only meant to share information about the "new member" banner and express that we already know Patrick. When we see our sweet friend accused of grouchy behavior, someone is likely to jump to her defense. I understand how it can sometimes seem "clique-ish" , but that isn't the intent.
I love the diversity of this group and I believe that's what makes us kinda awesome. What a boring world it would be if we all agreed on everything!
