I think your position is much easier to understand when broadened beyond the software field to any creative endeavor: An artist or musician may choose not to pu

I think your position is much easier to understand when broadened beyond the software field to any creative endeavor: An artist or musician may choose not to pursue a career or specific genre, yet make reproductions available for free. This doesn't mean they would be comfortable with someone profiting from their work (or a plagiarized version of it). They may even take on a free commission or perform a free concert. In the end, it's a labor of love driven by the passion to create. In the arts, ego and control are merely contributing factors to individual expression, which is highly valued. It should be no surprise when this type of motivation appears in software development.