It's not always about the numbers...
Quick quote from the book I thought I never read:
Although information exchange is key to learning environments, communities are not built on instrumental exchanges alone. Social support is important in cushioning stress, helping during a crisis, and promoting a "sense of social unity (a 'we' feel)" (van der Poel, 1993, p. 2). Social support -- expressed as companionship, emotional aid, advice, sharing of small goods and services -- also promotes individual well being (Haines & Wellman & Gulia, 199b). Thus, when examining a learning community, it is important to explore the extent to which socially supportive relations are maintained among members.
 | Building Virtual Communities: Learning and Change in Cyberspace (Learning in Doing: Social, Cognitive and Computational Perspectives)
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