Editing Free-rider problem (section)

== Open Communities ==
[[Open Standards]], [[Open Source]] and [[Open Data]] are now a huge part of our economy,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-09-02 |title=The Digital Economy Runs on Open Source. Here’s How to Protect It. |url=https://hbr.org/2021/09/the-digital-economy-runs-on-open-source-heres-how-to-protect-it |access-date=2025-04-10 |work=Harvard Business Review |language=en |issn=0017-8012}}</ref> and all share a version of this problem. Propagated by the [[internet]], our digital economy has made it easy copy and distribute information.  Projects from [[operating systems]] to [[content management systems]] have been developed and maintained by a small group of contributors. Meanwhile a much larger number of individuals, companies, and governments benefit.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The OSI First to Endorse United Nations Open Source Principles {{!}} Office of Information and Communications Technology |url=https://unite.un.org/news/osi-first-endorse-united-nations-open-source-principles |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=unite.un.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Open source and the free-rider problem |url=https://www.infoworld.com/article/2264054/open-source-and-the-free-rider-problem.html |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=InfoWorld |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Understanding the State of Open Source Funding in 2024 |url=https://www.linuxfoundation.org/blog/understanding-the-state-of-open-source-funding-in-2024 |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=www.linuxfoundation.org |language=en}}</ref> This happens often without acknowledgement, let alone contributing back to the project. This dynamic has led to sustainability concerns, as core maintainers face burnout and underfunding despite the critical infrastructure role these [[digital public goods]] play.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How do we fund open source? |url=https://www.infoworld.com/article/3557846/how-do-we-fund-open-source.html |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=InfoWorld |language=en-US}}</ref> Scholars and advocates<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-02 |title=Free and Open Source Software Sustainability Fund |url=https://www.opentech.fund/funds/free-and-open-source-software-sustainability-fund/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=OTF |language=en-US}}</ref> have highlighted the need for new models—such as public funding, corporate contributions, or support from government institutions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The future of open source is still very much in flux |url=https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/08/17/1077498/future-open-source/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=MIT Technology Review |language=en}}</ref>