▁was ▁in ▁use ▁in ▁science ▁fiction ▁f andom ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁used ▁( sp elled ▁" ego ▁bo o ") ▁in ▁a ▁letter ▁from ▁Rick ▁S ne ary ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁letter ▁column ▁of ▁Th r illing ▁Wonder ▁St ories .< ref > S ne ary , ▁Rick . ▁" Let ter " ▁Th r illing ▁Wonder ▁St ories " ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 7 ] </ ref > ▁It ▁was ▁originally ▁simply ▁used ▁to ▁describe ▁the ▁" ego ▁boost " ▁someone ▁feels ▁on ▁seeing ▁their ▁name ▁in ▁print . ▁As ▁a ▁reliable ▁way ▁for ▁someone ▁to ▁get ▁their ▁name ▁in ▁print ▁was ▁to ▁do ▁something ▁worth ▁mention ing , ▁it ▁became ▁caught ▁up ▁with ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁volunt ary ▁community ▁participation . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁this , ▁in ▁later ▁years , ▁the ▁term ▁grew ▁to ▁mean ▁something ▁a kin ▁to ▁an ▁e ph em eral ▁currency , ▁e . g ., ▁" I ▁got ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁eg ob oo ▁for ▁editing ▁that ▁news letter ." ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁later ▁spread ▁into ▁the ▁open ▁source ▁programming ▁movement , ▁where ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁non - mon et ary ▁reward ▁from ▁community ▁response ▁is ▁a ▁key ▁motiv ator ▁for ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁participants . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁its ▁pre val ence ▁in ▁this ▁context , ▁it ▁is ▁often ▁attributed ▁to ▁Eric ▁S . ▁Raymond . ▁However , ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁in ▁use ▁in ▁science ▁fiction ▁f andom ▁since ▁ 1 9