I agree. There's a kind of social-transactional element to Open Source that people don't like to talk about. Like, chasing clout instead of dollars. If you're a committed maintainer who writes a lot of packages and sacrifices a lot of your free time, chances are you have some self-interest in the mix.

The illusion of universal altruism probably helps insulate people from thinking about the uncomfortable politics of Open Source.

I'd like to read an article covering your insights.