When you consider the way LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP, Perl, or Python) has evolved, you could draw comparisons to a very low tech but effective method of collaboration: the farmers' cooperative. Individual farmers on their own lacked the means to collect, negotiate, store, and ship their produce to market. However, by pooling their resources they formed a successful venture that allowed them to produce their crops, collectively negotiate prices, share expensive farm machinery, and provide a marketplace for buyers to receive their goods.