jalt

English

Etymology

Coined by Israeli-American author Yochai Benkler in 2002 (see first quotation), from a shortening of jealousy + altruism.

Noun

jalt (uncountable)

1. (neologism) A feeling of resentment felt by volunteers towards individuals who profit from their work.
   • 2002 December, Yochai Benkler, “Coase's Penguin, or, Linux and The Nature of the Firm”, in Yale Law Journal, volume 112, number 3, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 440:

     Another form of appropriation that could affect valuation of participation is simple commercialization for private gain. The primary concern is that commercialization by some participants or even by nonparticipants will create a sucker's reward aspect to participation. This is the effect I introduced into the abstract statement of diverse motivations as the jalt factor—the effect of monetary rewards for others on the perceived value of participation.

   • 2009, Andrew Lih, The Wikipedia Revolution: How a Bunch of Nobodies Created the World's Greatest Encyclopedia, New York, N.Y.: Hyperion, →ISBN, page 226:

     The role of this new built-up paid executive staff itself is of concern. This is something identified in open source projects as jalt—the jealousy altruism factor, of whether people get paid differently for participating.

   • 2019 July 2, Robert Fernandez, “The Limits of Volunteerism and the Gatekeepers of Team Encarta”, in Wikipedia @ 20‎^[1], archived from the original on 2022-12-26:

     Though it is seldom discussed in that context, jalt has become one of the most powerful factors shaping the behavior of a number of the most active participants on Wikipedia. Jalt is a natural, understandable impulse. After all, if you're a pizza delivery guy or IT help desk employee who has contributed thousands of unpaid hours to Wikipedia, it's natural to get a little annoyed when Jimmy Wales gets to honeymoon on Richard Branson's private island.

Further reading

• Jalt on Wikipedia.Wikipedia