I was forwarded this e-mail today:
This is just a quick note to let everyone know that Cops Online just went over 6500 members. Help us grow by inviting your friends to join. Just click on the INVITE link in the top menu bar.
Happy community members don’t want the community to grow bigger. No member of any enjoyable group wants it to grow bigger. Bigger isn't better. Too many people ruin groups. Not everyone can get heard. People either get noisier or pushed to the edges.
Don’t ask members to invite friends simply to grow bigger. How does that benefit anyone? Only ask them to invite friends for a specific reason. Ask them to invite friends for a specific event, task or purpose. Ask them to invite friends they feel have something valuable to contribute to the community.
If they like it, they might stick around. That’s how you grow.