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I think you're exploring an important topic here, David, and trying to put your finger on the change that has been happening to amateur astronomy over the last two decades. From the early results I can see most people are there to enjoy the view - I tend to think of them as 'tourists' (it's just that their body stays in the same place while the view changes around them).
For myself I do a lot of outreach and education, indeed one of my jobs is working at the local planetarium, so education has steered a large part of my activities over the years. I also like to build telescopes, I don't think you have that option up there either? Without those interested in the instrumentation we wouldn't be able to do some of what we do.
I also feel that the rapid change to electronic imaging is slowing some people down i.e. the will is there but trying to work out how to make it all work can be a long process. Granted that meteor and variable star work uses the naked eye, for some people the electronica out there is very daunting.
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