An underlying strength of user contribution systems is that the motivations powering them are timeless and intrinsic to humanity and not a fad. The current explosion in contribution has occurred because the Internet enables those motivations to flourish. Voluntary contribution systems existed before the Web – think Zagat guides, trade shows, and talk radio – but the Web enables far more industries to harness such systems in far more ways. 

Stanford professor Larry Lessig (the second half of his new book covers business use of contribution) states the two keys to success simply:  create an experience where people are there because they want to be, and where they contribute as a by-product of getting what they want.

Here are a range of motivations, starting with the case where no motivation is needed at all.

I’m contributing?

Some systems collect participants’ resources or data as a by-product of things people are doing for other purposes. As shoppers buy from Amazon, they automatically contribute to its recommendation engine, which suggests products based on the ratings and purchase decisions of other customers. 

Practical solutions

In some systems, participants contribute in order to get reasonably immediate rewards. For example, the site del.icio.us enables users to organize their bookmarks of websites. A byproduct of this activity is that, when aggregated, the bookmarks produce an index to the web that is valuable to others. 

Social reward

Many systems provide the benefits of interaction with others: being part of a community with a common interest, generating business prospects, getting a date – the drivers behind social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn.

Reputation

Contribution can be sparked by a desire for public recognition, like Amazon’s badge for a “top 1,000 reviewer,” or for the admiration of peers: Wikipedia articles carry no authorship credit, yet authors earn the respect of other contributors. 

Self-expression

Many user contribution systems thrive on individuals’ desire to air their thoughts, opinions, or creative expression, with the possibility of real-time feedback from users – witness the six million videos on YouTube. 

Altruism

Why would a person write a glowing online review of a restaurant – when it may become harder to get a table if others act on the opinion? Some people want to help local diners or reward superb restaurant owners. Others simply want the truth to be heard.

What's the role of payment for contribution?  Most contribution systems offer no financial compensation to contributors. In fact, payment can destroy participation by undermining a sense of collaboration and trust. Rather, they rely on motivations intrinsic to humanity – or involve contributions that require no motivation at all, because the user contributes without realizing it.

In the future, monetary compensation may become more common, especially where clear ownership rights enable it – for example, a social networking site sharing revenue from advertising that appears on user-created pages. As Georg von Krogh wrote in a recent Harvard Business Review article, "customer-collaborators are starting to ask, "What's in it for me?" But when value is created, as it often is, from the intertwined contributions of many, ownership is often murky and compensation unlikely.

A final observation on how few people need motivation in order for a system to work. Vibrant contribution systems can emerge when only a miniscule percentage of users contribute; for Wikipedia only 1 in 1,000 contribute. Indeed, sometimes no motivation is required, because users’ contributions are passive and possibly even unknown to them.