In reply to Jeff Chandler.

Bastos or even Chris Lema might have more insight on the evolution over the whole history, but from my perspective the content has gone more "tech support" over the course of this year with the exponential growth. But some things have been relatively constant and I think that's the way WordPress folks get to connect more personally and create a broader network of connections. I also really appreciate how new highly skilled devs like Carl Alexander and Bryce Adams have taken to the group and not only share their posts with us first, but also chime in with solutions to others' issues and share things they are working on. I personally push the more advanced devs to contribute more, but I do think they get a lot of fatigue with answering questions that crop up over and over again that are very similar.

In the end, I think it's better to imagine the group like 24/7 online WordCamp. Because at WordCamp's you get the same swath of beginners to intermediates to advanced users and they all mingle and chat and share knowledge and laugh and build relationships. It's not an online PrestigeConf or LoopConf, nor is it a 24/7 WPWaterCooler, but right in the middle: 24/7 WordCamp.

About moderating, the identity has always been about "Providing Value". Just this week, Chris Lema put up a really good succinct description of the kind of posts we encourage and moderate for:
1. Have you put effort into your quest before asking here?
2. If you've tried things and learned things, are you sharing them here?
3. Is your goal to learn rather than be directed to a link?
4. When you share something, is it to teach rather than get clicks?

I think that's really been the Core of who we've been from the beginning and continues now.