Comment by travisjungroth

I think open source software took off because it’s more standalone than the other things you listed and this makes the rewards much higher.

If I write some code, it needs a computer and environment to run. If I’m writing for what’s popular, that’s pretty much a given. In short, for code the design is the product.

If I design a pharmaceutical, someone still has to make it. Same for car parts. This effort is actually greater than the effort of design. If you include regulation, it’s way higher.

So, this great feedback loop of creation-impact-collaboration never forms. The loop would be too big and involve too much other stuff.

The closest thing isn’t actually manufacturing, it’s more like writing and music. People have been reusing each other’s stuff forever in those spaces.