What makes a person feel at home, or among friends, on a social networking site or in real life?

With the recent influx of people from wis.dm, there seems to be a lot of conversation about integration and comfort levels. I was surprides to find that a lot of Askvillians (still doesn’t look right) still feel a bit like an outsider here. Since I don’t normally do the whole social networking thing and Fluther is my exception, I was wondering about this.

What do you think it is that makes a person feel as though they belong and are welcomed?

Does this extend to your personal life outside of the internet?

How are they different and in what ways are they the same?

What makes you feel welcome and appreciated?