Why do individuals contribute to open source? For some, it's their day job but both principles from psychology and direct research paint a more complex story.
6. @ghaff https://bitmason.blogspot.com @Opensourceway
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● Grew out of drive
reduction theory (Hull
and Spence in 40s and
50s)
● Money
● Career advantages
By publishing software that
was free for all to inspect,
[individual developers] could
signal their talent to
potential employers and
increase their value in the
labor market.
Lerner & Tirole, 2002
8. @ghaff https://bitmason.blogspot.com @Opensourceway
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● Evolved from self-determination
theory (Deci and Ryan in 70s)
● Fun
● Altruism
● “Kinship amity” (informal gift
economy within group)
CC-By-SA 2.0
https://www.flickr.com/photos/lennartt/7624475918/
9. @ghaff https://bitmason.blogspot.com @Opensourceway
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● Most studies have qualified the importance of
altruism (and it’s far more important for
students/hobby programmers)
● Other work found altruism mostly a motivator among
otherwise satisfied developers
● Fun can be motivator (for tasks that developers
enjoy)
Open source research a mixed bag
12. @ghaff https://bitmason.blogspot.com @Opensourceway
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● Don’t expect non-extrinsic motivators to carry too
much of the load
● Ampily non-extrinsic motivators: learning, peer
reputation, recognition
● Motivators can be counter-productive when
over-rotated
Key takeaways
13. @ghaff https://bitmason.blogspot.com @Opensourceway
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Carrots and Rainbows: Motivation and Social Practice in
Open Source Software Development. Krogh, Haefliger,
Spaeth, and Wallin of ETH Zurich. 2012. Survey of 10 prior
years into open source contribution.
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7712/3726f65f8fd88126357c12cad230cc832f41.pdf
Further reading