In no particular order:
Entertainment Value: I get a kick out of the personalities here and some of the sometimes incredibly geeked out topics arguing over, in some cases, the minutiae of product design. Apple product discussions are particularly amusing to me, nerds! And, I suppose, to provide entertainment value for others. I’ve been chewed once or twice by the mods for cracking a joke or making one word or one image posts, but generally I see a tolerance for on-topic humor, which is fun.
Diverse Perspectives: I read C77 about 10x more than I post, but I appreciate that people open up, share their experiences, challenge others, and drive deeper discussions. Over the years this has helped me understand the perspectives of others in my work life, and helped me to challenge perceptions.
Advice & Sharing: I like to give back and share my experiences and how I’ve managed them as well as read how others in similar situations have managed them. It is great when people share the results of following the advice here and watching them succeed. I don’t share as much of my work as I suppose I could though, but that’s the price I pay for the anonymity.
Connectivity and Affirmation: Like Yo, I appreciate the community, and while I work with 12 other designers, it is really good to tap into discussions with other creatives working in other facets of design. As far as affirmation, well I guess that’s a sanity check thing for me based on some of what I have to deal with in my current job. My marching orders are often in direct conflict with best practices in design leadership, but I find a continuity here that reminds me to keep doing what is right for design and my creative staff, and so I believe this will benefit me later in my career.