I am getting through it pretty quick and have a lot to say about it.
The first few chapters delve into the history of Free and how it has been used over the ages. One thing I found interesting was when talking about capitalism, socialism and primitive societies, Anderson talks about the link economy and how at a certain point the size of a group comes into play.
...the social bonds that police such mutual aid tend to fray when the size of the group exceeds 150 (termed the "Dunbar Number" -- the empirically observed limit at which the members of a human community can maintain strong links with one another).
When it comes to in-person events/communities/societies, anything greater than 150 tends to fall apart. But, the virtual world has changed all that.
As an association with various meetings and conferences, what if you capped them all at 150? If you provided the right atmosphere, tools and motivation, you could have events where all attendees continued to learn, share and form bonds with one another. I know that the Buzz2009 conference was held to a small number and that the organizers want to keep it that way specifically for the reasons above. Would it be worth it for your meetings?
