Interesting reflections on community by Chris:

Etiquette presupposes a few conditions: that there is a community to talk about such issues, that there are people invested enough in the community to take the time to debate, that the community is flexible and open to discussion, and that people see value in such discussion. When a community (and I count any practice where such discussion can take place as a community) ceases to foster debate and instead languishes in ennui or becomes so regimented and rules-oriented that there is no need for discussion, that community is effectively dead, living a zombie-like-existence, displaying the illusion of life.

The health of a community depends on its ability to walk the rail between utter disinterest in norms and blinding loyalty to dead rules.