As for me, fansubbing is always about the fans. And to be a major powerplayer in group politics
Meh, I like getting involved in what I like, and anime is no different. The opportunity to work with like minded anime fans to create something good is an awesome feeling that can't be easily explained.
Talking to fans, discussing anime and being involved with the community has been a largely great experience, even though I don't mix much outside of my groups' channels. And wherever I go, be it chiki, oyatsu, liquid, maybe even fffpeeps, my time at Tonde is something that no other group can replace. Not to say that Oyatsu isn't dear to me, but this place is pretty much the greatest sense of community I've seen, even though it's small and inactive.