I just posted a “serious” article about gated communities http://tinyurl.com/dldeqf
And here is the background information, with some non-business funny stories…
As I wrote in the bits and pieces of my “ideagraphy”, I have been studying closed groups for a long time, first informally (as a kid in strutting along his father in political or theater meetings), the in a more structured way (as a teenager self-studying cultural anthropology, compared constitutions, legal and prison systems, science development history, computer and compiler theory-).
Was is an “ideagraphy”? Biography of an idea 
Eventually, in my late teens, I had the chance of applying my studies first in politics, in Italy and with occasional travels abroad, while being in a unique organization that covered all the political parties of the “arco costituzionale” (approx. constitution alliance, i.e. those who were part of the writing of the Italian constitution after WWII, from the Communist party on the left, to the Liberal party to the right), and having to talk and meet people from all the parties.
Then, I expanded this study with my “Christmas boot camp”, when I start my compulsory service in the Army a first time when I was 18, as a volunteer prison guard at their school in Monte Cassino, before being sent back after few days.
I continued the study at the university, but focusing on how people interacted, their motivation for studying, and how they interacted with the environment.
My nickname? Well, my university ID ended in 166, so I selected: robi166.
As I enjoyed once in a while talking with people belonging to different groups, acting as a neutral bridge, once they did a practical joke.
Five or six of them started talking to me about different subjects, and I keep conversing with all of them at the same time, without losing track of the discussion.
Call it “multiplayer chatting”, instead of playing chess 
The reason? A joke going around was that robi166 was a nickname covering… 166 people (myself)
One of the funniest stories about being behind the closed doors of a gated community without knowing it was told by my then-girlfriend (German), in early 1990s.
Being from the political left (as I am), and from a cultural environment, she and her friends organized a “get acquainted” event in their German town, to allow the German and Turkish youth meet.
The German youth idea of a party: everybody dressed relaxed, and coming “punktlich” to the party.
The Turkish youth idea of a party: everybody dressed up, and coming late to show the importance of the event.
Ice.
Until somebody on both side realized what had happened: they had agreed to a party- but each one had a well-defined idea of what meant that kind of party
And everywhere I went around Europe, I always found these same misconceptions.
It is not just the language- it is that we all belong to different cultures and sub-cultures, “virtual gated communities”
My experience? You need people from inside the community that are “gate keepers”- those are your path to enter
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Tags: behind, communities, draugiem, gated, gramata