@TJ Baker - but to me there is no replacing the energy exchange and creativity that comes from being in a room with live people.

This is one of the reasons why Automattic encourages so many of their employees to attend as many meetups/WordCamps as possible, to encourage face to face time. But here is the weird thing. I've read multiple times and have even seen screenshots of a bunch of Automatticians in the same room yet they are glued to their notebook screens, chatting to each other in Skype, P2, etc. It becomes so engrained to communicate in that method, they do it all the time, even in the presence of their peers.