Of course they are. You’re doing the same thing every time you go to work. You provide value to your employer, so your employer provides money to you; people contribute money and time to Jack and Scarab because they feel that J&S provide some kind of value to them. The only difference is that J&S are receiving money from dozens or hundreds of tiny employers as opposed to one big employer – well, and I’ll hazard a guess that you don’t have nearly as much fun doing what you’re paid to do as they do!

-Chris A.
http://www.etherjammer.com/blog/