This is possibly the most accurate of all of Cairncross's predictions. The ability to communicate and form real interpersonal bonds with others of like mind or interest without regard to distance is one of the greatest functions of new web technologies.
In this area, online communities hold an edge over blogs. By their very nature, blogs tend to have a one-way relationship, that of author to audience. They allow for interaction and do bring people together, but the primary agenda and lines of communication are set by the blog's author.
Online communities, on the other hand, are in essence communities of practice. Whether you are an established, leading member of a particular group or a novice trying to learn more about a narrowly focused issue, online communities, like their real-world counterparts, are a tremendous resource. In addition, to Talkbass, which I frequent as a member of a specific subset of the larger community of musicians, I have used online communities to learn more about replacing a water softener, upgrading a specific model of radio controlled truck, and removing the factory stereo in a Ford pickup, among many, many other things.
As with so many practical things, it helps the novice to have access to someone who has experience with the thing you are trying to do, and online communities have made it very efficient for people with like interests to communicate and come together across otherwise impossible distances.
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