I have been pondering the ideal size of a community of late - be it a company (successful companies are communities too), a circle of friends or the user base for a wiki or a forum. Of course, I am not the first to ponder the question, nor will I be the last.
Paul Graham wrote [...]

The issue of identity information isn’t as simple as private or public, unshared or shared. In the Internet age, searchablility and discoverability are also factors, as well as the more granular way we can choose to share data. Computers give the illusion that we can control what we share and who we share it with. [...]

I was wandering the streets of London this week, in a productive way of course, when I saw a familiar face. I nodded and he nodded back. “Are you who I think you are?” I said. “Well, that very much depends on who you think I am, doesn’t it?” he said.