"How to Win Friends & Influence People" is the title of a Dale Carnegie book that became a ubiquitous figure of speech, as everyone knows. Only a fool would try to parse the words literally. Much more interesting is the question of which social media sites are indeed a community, and which are merely a conglomeration of anonymous drive-by posts.
By any standard, R-F is a community. Comprised of diverse individuals who visit the forum often and generally spend a while here, interacting with other members. Most members share a common interest in motor racing. Folks have a consistent name, profile, and avatar so they become known to the crowd over time. When you address them, you have the context of who they are, and what they have said previously about any given topic. You are chatting and debating with friends and acquaintances. Most members care about their on-line relationships... which is not to say they agree about everything. There are always a few who view the membership as just so many targets... for on-line drive-by shootings. There is probably someone in the neighborhood where you live who harbors deeply anti-social tendencies as well.
That was pretty funny and led to a few good jokes, some of em had "well that sure isn't cheese money" in them. That ol boy has had egg on his face so much he should be going around in circles clucking like a chicken. Now they give him his own thread and he trolls himself 
