Abstract
Many people rely on open collaboration projects to run their computer (Linux), browse the web (Mozilla Firefox), and get information (Wikipedia). While these projects are successful, many such efforts suffer from lack of participation. Understanding what motivates users to participate and the benefits they perceive from their participation can help address this problem. We examined these issues through a survey of contributors and information consumers in the Cyclopath geographic wiki. We analyzed subject responses to identify a number of key motives and perceived benefits. Based on these results, we articulate several general techniques to encourage more and new forms of participation in open collaboration communities. Some of these techniques have the potential to engage information consumers more deeply and productively in the life of open collaboration communities.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages | 183-192 |
Number of pages | 10 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2011 |
Event | 7th Annual International Symposium on Wikis and Open Collaboration, WikiSym 2011 - Mountain View, CA, United States Duration: Oct 3 2011 → Oct 5 2011 |
Other
Other | 7th Annual International Symposium on Wikis and Open Collaboration, WikiSym 2011 |
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Country/Territory | United States |
City | Mountain View, CA |
Period | 10/3/11 → 10/5/11 |
Keywords
- benefits
- consumer
- contributor
- geowiki
- motivation
- open content
- wiki