Why do people contribute to code? What is the Incentive structure for peer producers to contribute to free open source work?

According to Kevin Kelly, the primary motives behind online collaboration and open-source sharing are for:

  • Credit or Recognition
  • Status
  • Reputation
  • Enjoyment
  • Satisfaction
  • Experience

I think this list is spot on and very much why I share my code online.

My Contributions

If you're curious about my open source contributions, here's a short list.