I very much agree with you that it supports not only our career, but enriches our lives when we get out of our own tunnel, start thinking more openminded, experiment with things that we never done before, eg try a rock song when being an electronic producer. But I may not agree with your statement: Think global versus think local. I think in the end we will be most happy with the people around us in real life, those who are with us in physical reach. Although here at HIVE we are a global community, but in the end we are part of local communities more than any global community.