Alan, 

Thank you Alan for this important reminder of the mission of 'shared community' 
with a shared vision in which we all particpate without expectation of 
individual recognition or rewards. We do it because it is the right thing to do 
for the mission to which we are committed.

Sandra Thaxter
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Alan Kay 
  To: dfarn...@sugarlabs.org ; iaep 
  Sent: Friday, December 11, 2009 3:44 PM
  Subject: Re: [IAEP] Do nice guys finish first?


  This is a nice distinction!

  Cheers,

  Alan




------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  From: "dfarn...@sugarlabs.org" <dfarn...@sugarlabs.org>
  To: iaep <iaep@lists.sugarlabs.org>
  Sent: Fri, December 11, 2009 11:41:16 AM
  Subject: [IAEP] Do nice guys finish first?

  Over the last couple of months I have been struggling with some of the shifts 
in Sugar Labs.  My greatest concern has been the increasing emphasis on 
transactions over reciprocity.

  Transactions represent the notion that individuals take action with the 
expectation that they will be rewarded for their action.  Reciprocity is the 
idea that if one gives freely, other will be inclined to do likewise.  Both 
involve acting in one own self interest.

  The problem with transactions is that they tend to cause competition.  In 
Sugar Labs that competition is for credit, attention and resources.  
Transactions involve bookkeeping -- either implicitly or explicitly.  
Transactions crowd out reciprocity.

  Reciprocity involves working on the Sugar Labs mission and giving that work 
freely to Sugar Labs with the expectation that other will build on your work to 
further the mission.

  Maybe it is a growth phase.  1 year ago Sugar Labs had little worth competing 
for. 1 year ago participants remembered the fresh wounds of the OLPC spinoff.  
1 year ago conversations were about how can we work together to make Sugar 
awesome.

  I hope that Sugar Labs can get back to working together to make Sugar awesome.

  david





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