[kartan]

> Can someone explain to me why people will inevitably put in countless hours of free labor for Amazon here?

Most people is good a heart and they want to help, even when it's bad for themselves or even illegal.

"Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and many state and local wage and hour laws, the use of volunteers and interns is strictly regulated." https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardtuschman/2012/08/24/usin...

Amazon strategy is just another example of "if it's online it's legal". Destroying jobs in exchange of "experience", "visibility" or "a better curriculum" is regulated and for good reasons.

Do they want their software to be free? That's good. Everybody can use it and anyone can collaborate. Do they want their documentation to be reviewed and expanded by voluteers? Why not hire Technical Writers?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_writer

Amazon evades paying taxes while expecting that volunteers do their job instead of employees. The world economy can't continue running like this for long.

[gnud]

While that's an interesting point, it's not as simple as it being 'illegal' either.

I've told vendors of documentation bugs - and they've even listened. I wasn't paid by the vendor, I was paid by my employer. Who has a business relationship with the vendor. I sort of doubt this is illegal.