(September 19, 2008) I was sitting in the bar of the Toronto Intercontinental with Claudia Faust. We talked about friendship, community, recruiting and the value of RecruitingBlogs.com. We agreed that 'following your nose' is the key to the unfolding of things you don't understand.

We're in town for the RecruitFest.

I'm getting to know Claudia (and a host of others) because of my involvement in the universe of people who are the online community of Recruiting. While RecruitingBlogs.com is the current center of that cyclone, the community is spread out across a slightly larger terrain.

Like it is offline, online community is a set of intersections rather than a permanent and exclusive place. We connect in our place. We meet in others. Community is something we're from, something we have in common.

Claudia, as you might know, has invested her energy and passion into her new business. A seasoned recruiter, she moved from her lifetime home in Seattle to the Ft. Lauderdale area about five years ago. Kids grown, she was ready for new adventures and experiences.

When we talked about the utility of RBC, it turned out that our experience was similar. RBC is a place where we engage colleague on a variety of levels. From professional relationships to deep friendships (and everywhere along that spectrum), the scene provides a platform for connection.

Recruiters network. Networking is not a monolithic approach to friendship. Rather, each of us does it in our own way, in our own rhythm. A community is something that allows the process to unfold.

John Sumser has been chronicling the Recruiting Industry forever. You can catch his work at JohnSumser.com. He's the CEO of the Recruiting Roadshow. Join the fun in Dallas (9/25), Silicon Valley (10/23) or Atlanta in early December