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This paper examines the importance of 'discourse architecture' and 'community' to the maintenance and growth of virtual publics. 'Virtual publics' are computer mediated discourse spaces created by using various technologies including email, the USENET, web based bulletin boards, IRC, MUDS, etc. It is argued that the over-emphasis to date on 'community' has discouraged systemic analysis of collaborative media systems. Further, it has distracted researchers' attention away from how 'discourse architecture' created by the interplay of technology and content can both enable and constrain the growth of a collaborative system's user population and participation. The paper suggests that systems-theory can be used to inform our understanding of virtual public growth. Further, we examine the genesis of virtual metropolises, where tens of thousands of individuals are engaged in public computer-mediated discourse …