The Joel on Software Discussion Group - Identity Alignment, meet "Econ 101"

The Joel on Software Discussion Group - Identity Alignment, meet "Econ 101": "It's not really nationalism, but it is a form of tribalism or corporationism perhaps. Bind the group so that its members work for the benefit of the group rather than themselves. The members benefit as well - they get those nice, warm feelings of belongingness, of beyond-me-ness.

Eating together has been an old trick used to cement social units into a cohesive whole like this. I imagine though not halal or kosher, there is some dietary restrictions that would make members uncomfortable breaking bread with another company. (The way to man's heart is thru his stomach they say.)

By handing out to his developers this sense of bondedness, this sense of togetherness, thie sense of 'group is greater than the sum of its part'-ness, he is fulfilling an emotional demand that other companies supply with actual money.

Of course, developers who have their own pre-existing group loyalties - tight families, church groups, etc - will be less in the market for spiritual payoffs like these and will not be impressed about going to Joel's parties.

I do think that there is a diversification problem as well. Just as with financial investments, getting too much of your income - monetary and spiritual renumeration - from the same source is highly risky."