ABSTRACT
Individually manifested altruism in its various forms, an interest in science and a sense of community is not enough to explain why millions participate and why for thousands it becomes a regular and intrinsic part of their lives through participation in teams and online forums. My research indicates that the answer lies in the intersection of motivation and the interactional and organizational possibilities emerging through the Internet. The network organizational form can capture people’s motivation better than hierarchical organizations and channel it in a selfsustaining mode (Weber, 2004). Specifically, the Internet based community allows competition and cooperation simultaneously. The Internet allows the formation of virtual teams of participants that cooperate by sharing knowledge and expertise and compete against other such teams.
