Doge was probably the best community to test and play with crypto in the early days. You could ask for a few coins and there were volunteers sending you some for free. You could learn how to send and receive without "suffering" as it was "silly money". I loved that when I joined.
I remember getting a bunch of them from faucets claiming every 5 minutes 😂
Those days are gone and after the years, the experiment has evolved as well as the community. There are speculators, tech savvies and newbies, but the community spirit is still alive and kicking. As you mention, that is the real value.