> a great number of people have decided to stop publishing their code publicly

Stopped publishing anything and stopped creating anything.

But in all fairness this started long ago. I remember a conversation where I asked someone who read a niche blog every day why he never posted a comment. (the blog had zero comments) If you like what they wrote and have thoughts about it, why not "honor" them with a few words? How is that to much to ask? They clearly just never bothered to but in stead made up all kinds of excuses.

Imagine having to explain that you can respond if someone talks to you? If there was a culture surely it ended there?