Very good article. Personally, openness is the way to go.
It resonated with me less so because of a stance on open vs closed than because I share similar sentiments regarding the specific communities Josh cited. Amazing communities to be sure but clearly with insider social norms/status and unwritten rules. The same can be said for Twitter, of course, but I think there's a lower barrier to entry. (Disclaimer: I haven't read Fred's or Anil's posts yet)
There is something to be said about closed communities and how much they suck. There is something about a completely open community as well and I think there are reasons why Twitter has a Follow feature and a Friend feature for Facebook as well. I just don't think that those Mom's groups would want just anyone to be able to come into their circle at any time. But when it comes to discussions about VC's and raising capital, there needs to be more than just a few people talking about it you know?
