They don't all need to know each other for there to be a large population here. A large population doesn't require a "community feeling".
And, for the record, the people that come here DO have something in common. They wish to have an intelligent (or at least mostly intelligent) discussion about subjects that interest them. Furthermore, they wish to have these sorts of discussions in an anonymous environment, which if you don't understand the benefits of that then I suggest you stop posting here and read this page: http://wakaba.c3.cx/shii/shiichan/ .
We don't need Cockmongler or Happy Negro or Longcat to have these kind of discussions here. And anyway, if that's the only way to get more people to come here, then I'd prefer it stays like it is now, as this whole site would just become another /b/.