Agreed. The purpose of most communities is to grow. Certainly Digg and Reddit wanted growth; it's their business. Communities don't have to operate that way.

Agreed. The purpose of most communities is to grow. Certainly Digg and Reddit wanted growth; it's their business. Communities don't have to operate that way. Surely they can be designed for optimal quality; or as you said, modified so that any nonconstructive growth is curbed after a threshold.