Non-participation and poor quality participation in online environments is often discussed in the literature. Interaction and engagement in online discussions are critical for understanding and constructing new knowledge. In this case study, we examined messages posted by graduate students in four online debates for quantity and quality. The purpose was to determine whether the number of postings in the four debates would be similar, and if so, would the substantive nature of postings be maintained by the students. We analyzed the contents of messages and embedded statements within for message type and frequency of discussion. We observed that the number of messages declined, but the quality, or substantive nature, of the debates remained. While we classified most embedded statements as being an argumentation element, other types (i.e., chatting and support) were also found. Overall, for this case, while the quantity of postings declined, their quality and use of argumentation style did not diminish. (Contains 6 tables.)