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On Digital Mathematics and Drive-By Contributors
- tikhonj 11y agoThis idea could be called "open source mathematics"—it applies the open-source philosophy of "many eyes, many hands" to mathematical work. "Drive-by contributor" almost sounds derogatory¹ but it's actually a positive, as the author notes. It just means that people who wouldn't have participated at all can now pitch in a bit without having to commit too much. For mathematics, this is decidedly novel. I find this really exciting not only for mathematics but for other intellectual ventures as well. This could work as well for many kinds of research and scholarship, as long as it isn't too capital-intensive or political in nature. Spreading scholarship outside academia seems like a net benefit for almost everyone. footnotes ¹ The "drive-by" part is what seems a bit negative here, but I can't help feeling that "contributor" just comes off as a bit patronizing. That's certainly how the phrase "individual contributor" comes off in business contexts!