There has been the occasional gift-based economy. As opposed to our Exchange Economy or a centrally-controlled Command Hierarchy.(Eric Raymond compares them.)
Hack Er community (open source developers)
- academia? ("the politics are so severe because the stakes are so low")
Kwakiutl chieftain's potlatch, http://www.potlatch.net/
- rich-people's philanthropy
Article comparing Open Source software to community gardens, blood banks, and other gift economies.
Is it just a coincidence, or did you know that this has been a recent topic on Meatball as well? GiftEconomy --John Abbe ... (reply: just a coincidence, unless someone from Meatball Wiki was at Jerry Michalski's retreat... --Bill Seitz)