As a small aside:

Yes an aubergine is a description of the slashdot way of life.

I also think Robs comment is also making a reference to a UK TV Show [whose name escapes me for now] which features a Indian [from India, not a Native American...] Mother-in-law whose standard recipe for ANYTHING [whether food related or not] involves a list of improbable ingredients ending with '... and a small aubergine' [or starts with 'take one small aubergine...'].

Which also, I think, sums up the slashdot crowd quite nicely too.