Learning what your customers feel about your products is central to improving the product line. The Internet provides a wonderful mechanism for getting information back from the masses. Do it well, and they will tell you what they like and don't like, what they want and don't want, and what they will buy. The Internet was born and grew up nurtured by a gift economy. In the beginning, the Net was hard to use and the people on it were happy to help each other.
Someone stranded on a desert isle is very happy to help a newcomer in any way, just for the company.
The same was true online. Programmers came up with nifty utilities to help accomplish specific tasks. They made these programs available to everybody on the Net and offered advice and support when needed. In return, they had access to other programmers' creations. Soon, scholars made their information freely available to any who cared to download it.