“So, you like to write PHP code? …tell me about your mother…”

The open source concept confounds a lot of people. When I explain the SugarCRM manufacturing model, I often hear non-tech types ask me questions like “So, wait, these guys just test your product and track bugs, for free?” It is odd, I guess, when you think about it. But the nice people at Psychology Today were not happy to just say “hey some people like coding.” Instead, they are looking deeper into the psychology behind open source and open wiki contributors. In a new article , they seem to give three main reasons for people submitting free code to projects: First, there’s street cred: People want to garner approval from their peers and build their reputation. Second, there’s self-actualization: Working on these projects is enjoyable in and of itself, and it also provides the opportunities to practice your skills, collect feedback, and grow as a geek. Third, there’s pure altruism: Let’s save the world, one squashed bug or “...