"What mainly goes up… is not the core network but the number of casual contacts that people track more passively"

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The Social Brain Hypothesis (Dunbar, 1998) tested on Facebook, using generic behavioural closeness metrics (number of friends who people a) post on their wall, status updates or photos; or b) message/chat with), by the social network’s in-house sociologist Cameron Marlow.

from The Economist (26 Feb 2009): Social networks: Primates on Facebook

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