This Note examines the development of the knowledge embodied in ‘artifacts’ – things we use and value that do not exist in nature. It focuses on ‘multi-player’ development -- advances by and for the many – and highlights its technical scaffolding and venturesome spirit. And it...

User communities represent a unique organizing structure for the exchange of ideas and knowledge. They are organizations composed primarily of users working collaboratively, voluntarily, and with minimal oversight to freely and openly develop and exchange knowledge around a common artifact. The...

We investigate how knowledge similarity between two individuals is systematically related to the likelihood that a serendipitous encounter results in knowledge production. We conduct a natural field experiment at a medical research symposium, where we exogenously varied opportunities for...