
On Digital Mathematics and Drive-By Contributors - mathgenius
https://golem.ph.utexas.edu/category/2016/01/on_digital_mathematics_and_dri.html
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tikhonj
This 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!

