Hi John,
the Wiki-research-l mailing list (CCed) is usually a better place to
ask such questions than Wikimedia-l.
Without having taken a look at the book you mention, here are two
pointers to research that might be related:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Research:Newsletter/2012/April#cite_ref
Has anyone tried to use termodynamics on social capital within Wikipedia?
Over investment in social capital and negative specific heat might create
unstable systems, that is people will leave the community.
There is a book on the topic; A Dynamic Balance: Social Capital and
Sustainable Community D
