[Verse 1] Sarah codes at night, commits her work for free Posts it on her LinkedIn for the world to see "Here's my latest package, solved the problem clean" But behind the giving lies a complex scheme [Chorus] Gift economy, give and take Altruism with reputation at stake Open source hearts with hidden needs Generous code plants selfish seeds Gift economy, the price we pay Building our brands the generous way [Verse 2] Mike maintains three libraries, issues pile up high Every bug report feels like a battle cry Started as a passion project, now it owns his days Compassion fatigue in the gift exchange maze [Chorus] Gift economy, give and take Altruism with reputation at stake Open source hearts with hidden needs Generous code plants selfish seeds Gift economy, the price we pay Building our brands the generous way [Bridge] "Just use my library" the post declares Service to the world, but ego's hiding there Self-aggrandizement wrapped in helping hands The giver and receiver, both make their stands [Verse 3] Contributors gather stars and followers too Every pull request says "look what I can do" The gift that keeps on giving back to those who give In the reputation game, this is how we live [Chorus] Gift economy, give and take Altruism with reputation at stake Open source hearts with hidden needs Generous code plants selfish seeds Gift economy, the price we pay Building our brands the generous way [Outro] Behind every commit, there's a human heart Playing the gift game, playing their part Open source dreams with LinkedIn themes Nothing's quite as simple as it seems
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