The nerdiest place I've ever been

So, here I sit at Minecon 2016. Minecon is a convention for Minecraft players. To get here, 12,000 people sat at their computers at the precise moment to scramble to get their tickets, which sold out in a few minutes.

Ay this convention, you are filled with inspiration to sit at your computer and, not only play minecraft, but virtually watch others to sit and play minecraft as they stream their games live and on YouTube videos.

You can sit in panels and learn how to fritter away every spare moment on mods, packs, twitch, punching trees, making caves and all the other things that go along with Minecraft.

What, I wondered, is the big appeal? I have been known to sit for hours and play games, but, after a while, you realize you need to do something useful. So why do people spend so much time on stuff like this.

I think a big part of the appeal lies again in the desire for community. When you are playing minecraft, you are not only playing a game, but you are working with others to make worlds happen, share the work you've done and connect with others while learning about stuff that's fun for all of you. It's an electronic virtual front porch where you can connect with others.

So, probably most of you already knew this, but it was a discovery for me. What is your front porch? Maybe you even have a real one!