How did a text-sharing service (like pastbin) end up generating a community?
Rentry.co is a free Markdown pastebin service that lets you create formatted text pages with your own links. That simple option of being able to choose the link, plus a simple domain, gave rise to all this.
Ever since link shorteners made it possible to customize your link, some users have been claiming these links en masse, so that they can have them as trophies, sell them or buy them. Now take that and mix it with the possibility of customizing the page, not just using text, because Markdown supports inserting image links! Many communities, groups or individuals use the service to create personal pages, portfolios or just to share useful information.
The problem is that Rentry has a system whereby if a link has a common name, such as “dragon”, and the page has been inactive for more than 12 months, someone else can contact the administration and try to claim the link. This isn't such a problem if you just want to have a link with your nickname and it isn't a single common word.
Go ahead, type in a word, and see where it takes you:
Rentry.co/