From: wikien-l-bounces@Wikipedia.org [mailto:wikien-l-bounces@Wikipedia.org] On Behalf Of Jesse W
It certainly needs to be rewarding, or the community will leave - but fun is hardly the only form of reward that people can have. Achievement, social recognition, physical stimulation, all of these are forms of reward. (Not that Wikipedia provides much in the way of pleasurable physical stimulation, but let's not go there...)
I think that a lot of editors beaver away at their chosen field and take satisfaction from getting an article written. I know I certainly enjoy slotting another fact into place in this vast jigsaw.
It's silly, but the biggest thrill I had was from finding an article that needed to be written about a historic little church in Richmond. I did some research, wrote the article, wikified it and uploaded a photograph, all without the input of others until after I'd finished and folk came along to cat and dab it.
Peter (Skyring)