Anticipated reciprocity (or efficacy) comes up a
lot in research about community motivations.
Any time someone makes a contribution to a community, they want a
reaction. A good reaction is good. A bad reaction is less good. But zero
reaction is catastrophic.
If a member gets no response more than once their chances of
contributing again drops close to zero.
When we throw a stone in the community water, we want to see the
ripples. No ripples, no more stones.
Responding to every contribution yourself doesn’t scale. Nor does a
patronizing response along the lines of “thank
you for your contribution, we appreciate it!”
The challenge is simple and difficult. Find others as motivated as you
to make sure everyone that makes a contribution sees a good, quick, response.
This response includes a question that prompts further discussion.
