Working for Free?Motivations for Participating in Open-Source Projects

摘要

The success of the Linux operating system has demonstrated the viability of open-source software,an alternative form of software development that challenges traditional assumptions about software markets.Understanding why developers participate in open-source projects is crucial for assessing the impact of open-source software.Their motivations fall into two broad categories:internal factors (e.g.,intrinsic motivation,altruism) and external rewards (e.g.,expected future returns,personal needs).The results of a survey administered to open-source programmers are summarized.