A term originated inside science fiction fandom, originally simply utilized to describe a "ego boost" soul feels inside seeing their title in print. As a dependable way for person for their title around print was to wash something worth mentioning, it became caught higher by using a idea of voluntary community participation. Following of this, around late years, a term grew to mean something akin to an transitory currency - "I got a lot of egoboo for editing that newsletter".

A term late spread into a open source programming movement, where a construct of non-monetary reward from either community response occurs as key motive for many of the participants.

Following of its prevalence therein context, these are typically attributed to Eric S. Raymond. Yet, it has been inside have within science fiction fandom since a Fifties, existence referenced in the 1959 collection of fandom-related jargon Fancyclopedia II [http://www.sff.net/people/diccon/CYINDEX.HTM]. It did non, even so, occur in the 1944 predecessor thereto function, Fancyclopedia We [http://fanac.org/Fannish_Reference_Works/Fancyclopedia/Fancyclopedia_I/#E], suggesting a term inherit most common apply onetime in the intervening years. A number one print citation available electronically is Bob Tucker's 1954 ''Neo-Fan's Guide'', in which these are spelled "ego-boo" & the derivation is given from either "ego-boosting activity"; late usage dropped the dash & blended them words, a most common feature of fannish jargon.

A earliest low citation recorded occurs as information to that existence utilized within 1982, describing a sf convention inside Indiana [http://groups.google.com/group/net.sf-lovers/msg/988b7faf00af1308]; the high proportiin of sf fans on Usenet - and a net typically - around early years there is no doubt helped spread it into a wider computing community.