Egoboo
Encyclopedia
Egoboo is a colloquial expression
for the pleasure
received from public recognition
of voluntary work.
The term was in use in science fiction fandom
no later than 1947, when it was used (spelled "ego boo") in a letter from Rick Sneary published in the letter column of Thrilling Wonder Stories. It was originally simply used to describe the "ego boost" someone feels on seeing their name in print. As a reliable way for someone to get their name in print was to do something worth mentioning, it became caught up with the idea of voluntary community participation. As a result of this, in later years, the term grew to mean something akin to an ephemeral currency
, e.g., "I got a lot of egoboo for editing that newsletter."
The term later spread into the open source
programming movement
, where the concept of non-monetary reward from community response is a key motivator for many of the participants.
As a result of its prevalence in this context, it is often attributed to Eric S. Raymond
. However, it has been in use in science fiction fandom since 1947 or earlier, being referenced in the 1959 collection of fandom-related jargon Fancyclopedia II. It did not, however, occur in the 1944 predecessor to that work, Fancyclopedia I, suggesting the term came into common use sometime in the intervening years. The first print citation available electronically is in a 1950 issue of Lee Hoffman
's Quandry, where it is spelled "ego-boo"; later usage dropped the hyphen and blended the two words, a common feature of fannish jargon.
The earliest online citation recorded is a reference to it being used in 1982, describing InConJunction
, a science fiction convention
in Indiana
; the high proportion of science fiction fans on Usenet
, and the Internet
generally, in early years no doubt helped spread it into the wider computing community.
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
for the pleasure
Pleasure
Pleasure describes the broad class of mental states that humans and other animals experience as positive, enjoyable, or worth seeking. It includes more specific mental states such as happiness, entertainment, enjoyment, ecstasy, and euphoria...
received from public recognition
Reputation
Reputation of a social entity is an opinion about that entity, typically a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria...
of voluntary work.
The term was in use in science fiction fandom
Science fiction fandom
Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or "fandom" of people actively interested in science fiction and fantasy and in contact with one another based upon that interest...
no later than 1947, when it was used (spelled "ego boo") in a letter from Rick Sneary published in the letter column of Thrilling Wonder Stories. It was originally simply used to describe the "ego boost" someone feels on seeing their name in print. As a reliable way for someone to get their name in print was to do something worth mentioning, it became caught up with the idea of voluntary community participation. As a result of this, in later years, the term grew to mean something akin to an ephemeral currency
Currency
In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
, e.g., "I got a lot of egoboo for editing that newsletter."
The term later spread into the open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
programming movement
Social movement
Social movements are a type of group action. They are large informal groupings of individuals or organizations focused on specific political or social issues, in other words, on carrying out, resisting or undoing a social change....
, where the concept of non-monetary reward from community response is a key motivator for many of the participants.
As a result of its prevalence in this context, it is often attributed to Eric S. Raymond
Eric S. Raymond
Eric Steven Raymond , often referred to as ESR, is an American computer programmer, author and open source software advocate. After the 1997 publication of The Cathedral and the Bazaar, Raymond was for a number of years frequently quoted as an unofficial spokesman for the open source movement...
. However, it has been in use in science fiction fandom since 1947 or earlier, being referenced in the 1959 collection of fandom-related jargon Fancyclopedia II. It did not, however, occur in the 1944 predecessor to that work, Fancyclopedia I, suggesting the term came into common use sometime in the intervening years. The first print citation available electronically is in a 1950 issue of Lee Hoffman
Lee Hoffman
Lee Hoffman, born Shirley Bell Hoffman, was an American science fiction fan, an editor of early folk music fanzines, and an author of science fiction, Western and romance novels.In 1950-53, she edited and published the highly-regarded science fiction fanzine, Quandry...
's Quandry, where it is spelled "ego-boo"; later usage dropped the hyphen and blended the two words, a common feature of fannish jargon.
The earliest online citation recorded is a reference to it being used in 1982, describing InConJunction
InConJunction
InConJunction is a fan-run, not-for-profit science fiction convention held every July 4 weekend in Indianapolis, Indiana. Past guests include Catherine Asaro, Michael Z. Williamson, George R.R. Martin, Jerry Pournelle, Glen Cook, Mike Resnick, Timothy Zahn, and David Drake. The convention focuses...
, a science fiction convention
Science fiction convention
Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...
in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
; the high proportion of science fiction fans on Usenet
Usenet
Usenet is a worldwide distributed Internet discussion system. It developed from the general purpose UUCP architecture of the same name.Duke University graduate students Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979 and it was established in 1980...
, and the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
generally, in early years no doubt helped spread it into the wider computing community.