Why Do You Contribute to Stack Overflow? Insights for Sustaining Knowledge Ecosystems in the Age of LLMs – Replication Package

This dataset supports the study “Why Do You Contribute to Stack Overflow? Understanding Cross-Cultural Motivations and Usage Patterns before the Age of LLMs”. It explores why software practitioners contribute to Stack Overflow, comparing motivations across the United States, China, and Russia. Using a mixed-methods approach, we analysed 600 “About Me” profiles and linguistic data from 268,215 contributors. Seventeen motivational categories were identified, including advertising, altruism, and learning. Results show cultural differences: American users favour self-promotion, Chinese users emphasise learning, and Russian users display mixed tendencies. Correlation analysis revealed that detailed self-profiles align with advertising and social engagement, while learning-oriented users provide minimal self-presentation. The dataset offers a replication package for further study of cultural variation in knowledge-sharing communities.