The Network is the Product

For a few weeks now I've been thinking about the fundamental incentives for creative labour online; much of it is offered for free and is done voluntarily. While the web has opened up possibilities for paid work -- endless possibilities, really -- there is an unprecedented amount of time dedicated to projects of the heart. Many theories have tried to explain, if not justify, why humans would dedicate leisure time to work, but my own is the following: the network is the product. We all fundamentally want to belong to something, contribute to something, make something happen...together.