Call it what you will. A convention. A ritual. A civilizing influence.

One of the traditions of the rec.motorcycles.harley Virtual Bar and Grill is to buy a round of virtual drinks for the house. This is a way of saying, "Thank you for gathering around the fire and listenting to my tale" or "...answering my question". It's a friendly gesture, a recognition of community, a nod of respect to those who've hung around and socialized for years at r.m.h.

For the new arrival who buys a virtual drink for the house, it shows the regulars that maybe a new addition to the community has arrived. It disarms those who've had a bad day. Sometimes. However you look at it, it's a harmless way to play by the house rules.