The difference, I think, is that there was a common core, and an implicit code of conduct, among ham operators that just connecting to random people doesn't provide. You could put out a CQ (which says I'm available to talk) and connect to other hams all over the world. In one way these sites are like ham radio, which I was involved in as a teenager. Ronald E Franklin from Mechanicsburg, PA on February 14, 2015:
