If you play as an AP, you will meet other AP's and you will recognize each other, with grins and wisecracks. Always fun. A serious player is going to want to see you draw blood at the table before interacting with you. Most are very honorable but be aware many are a bit "on the spectrum" (speaking for myself too) so if you are a neurotypically sociable guy it might not be what you expect. When you play good games you will meet more AP's because we all like good games. If you play special opportunities that you have discovered you will meet AP's who have the same skills as you who also discovered them. I recently spent 9 months hammering a 24% advantage opportunity and did not see even one other AP. Just proves I'm really weird.
There is the benefit of sharing information but besides that the most powerful thing you can get from playing with others, especially in tolerant environments, is game speed. Amazing how much more money you can make at a table full of counters than a table full of muggles, with constant buy-ins and color-ups, "How-you-play-this game", time consuming sidebets. You can play a call-in game, two and three man counting systems, backline gambits where available, special counts for sidebets, cardeating strategies in pitch games, consolidation strategies, as well as a shared bankroll once you know you are all on the same page to allow larger Kelly bets.