Ideal community size?

What is the ideal size for a community? I heard 25-30, but that doesn't sound right to me (not even as large as my extended family!), I would say more like 100-200 people. most people only know about 100-200 people well based on Facebook.

What are ya talking about?
Second Line...

reply to post by 19872012

19872012,

I think the ideal community size would have to be around 7 - 8 billion.

Getting everybody to realize this and act accordingly....that's a whole other topic.

Peace

19872012
^ ^ ^ ^
This Many

Explanation: S&F!

Below a certain population threshhold level, the more specialized tasks individuals within that population are required to perform and likewise above a certain poulation threshhold level, the less specialized tasks individuals within that population are required to perform!

So rather than be tied down to any single number etc., it would be better to work out the top and bottom of the general range of possible populations [say from village to state sized] and use a scalable method for any sized population between those two extremes.

In mathematics an easy scalable method is to use percentages %.

Then one only needs a reliable, to a known degree of inaccuracy, table showing what percentage % of the population is required to possess and be actively using those special skills so as to keep themselves and their community safely alive, well and prosperous!

In the realm of genetics I heard [researching reliable sources... if any] that a minimum of 2000-4000 people were required to have population big enough so that inbreeding didn't become a major factor just for the species to survive, so I'd make that the medically endorsed lowest cut off point for what would be able to be at a minimum defined as "healthy" etc.

Lets call it 5000 people and give ourselves some breathing room OK!

And lets say we multiply that by a factor of 11 to get a Max Headroom ceiling for the highest cut off point, over which the population is no longer in a spartan like state of existence.

5000-55,0000 civilians [60% of which are mature citizens (can vote to go to war and either particpate a a soldier or as part of wider soldiers support system!) and remaining 40% are kids, infirm, elderly etc.]

This gives a maximum population of 50,000 individuals above the minimum threshhold cutoff level and gives us increments of 10%=5000 1%=500 and 0.1%=50 and 0.01%=5 within that population range exclusively!

Personal Disclosure: Posting this now and researching additional info to help support my POV and arguments etc.

P.S. OL is quite aware that the OP'er is probably looking at a large platoon sized demographic [50 people] but as others will most like post about that OL is taking this opportunity to provide a much broader and deeper long term overview of the issues raised by this thread.


edited to invert a more into a less. soz! :shk:

[edit on 18-8-2010 by OmegaLogos]

Explanation: Continuing on from above...

Army Unit Sizes [secondworldwar.co.uk]

From Source linked directly above!

Army Units & Sizes
The table below is an attempt to summarise the relationships between and the sizes of various military units. These sizes (and sometimes names) will vary not only from country to country, but also by the nature of the unit and its particular circumstances. The numbers given for men in each unit is more representative of infantry units than armoured units.

Unit Name: Consists of (note [a]): Approx Number of men: Command by:
Army _____2 or more Corps_____100,000 to 150,000_____Field Marshal or General
Corps_____2 or more Divisions____25,000 to 50,000______General or Lt. Gen.
Division___3 or more Brigades_____10,000 to 15,000______Lt. Gen or Maj. Gen. (also can consist of 3 or more Regiments)
Brigade___3 or more Battalions______1500 to 3500________Maj. Gen, Brigadier or Col.
Regiment__2 or more Battalions______1000 to 2000________Col. (note [z])
Battalion __4 or more Companies______400 to 1000_________Lt. Col.
Company__2 or more Platoons ________100 to 250 _________Captain or Maj
Platoon____2 or more Squads___________16 to 50___________1st Lt. (unit AKA Troop)
Squad_____2 or more Sections___________8 to 24____________Sgt.
Section______________________________4 to 12____________Sgt.

Notes:
[a] This column indicates what usually makes up the core of the unit - with larger formations there will be more supporting units as well such as units for headquarters, admin, signals, air-defence etc etc which will increase the overall number of men involved.
[z] Regiment is not usually a deployed unit as a whole, but is more of an "administrative family" or permanent label of a group's identity. So units from a particular regiment may be spread around within an army.

And some reasons behing squad numbers...

Number of Soldiers in a Platoon and Troop [army.lifetips.com]

A squad covers about 100 meters in open terrain when attacking, and can effectively defend 100 to 200 meters.

Personal Disclosure: I have found several sources of information regarding the minimum required level to prevent serious inbreeding and I'll post the results as soon as I've full read them myself!

Click here for more information.

Does

anyone else have more opinions?

Michael Shermer said in his book, the Science of Good and Evil, that 150 is the magic number. hmmmm.

Originally posted by 19872012
What is the ideal size for a community? I heard 25-30, but that doesn't sound right to me (not even as large as my extended family!), I would say more like 100-200 people. most people only know about 100-200 people well based on Facebook.

well my female partner has almost 2,000 friends on Facebook.

anyhow, though you're probably referring to Dunbar's Number 150,
en.wikipedia.org...
or Dunbar's function.
lesswrong.com...

histogram of Ultima Online guild sizes - with the peak at 60

Based on my research it's actually just like Atoms.
en.wikipedia.org...
So the optimal group size, or most stable atom be Nickel at isotope 58 (protons+neutrons).
en.wikipedia.org...
The maximum that naturally occurs on Earth is 238 (highest isotope of uranium).
Though groups as small as 1 (proton) can still function as an atom-tribe.

Of course atoms can connect together forming molecules,
or there is also metal to metal bonding,
and noble gases.

Intentional Communities ic.org...
Go ahead form we with your own.


[edit on 25-8-2010 by lowki]