That's right, nobody is under the obligation to share anything. However, sharing information and knowledge is the one thing that has brought the world to where it is. New information and knowledge leads to new creativity. Without it we get stagnation. If we all had stuck to tribal isolation and secrecy forever, we'd still be in the stone ages.
Regarding your analogies, we're not talking about cryptographic (mentioned in your posting before your edit) or musical trade secrets. We're talking about understanding and bettering the tools we use to make music. A small community trying to make the best of it together.
The community here has indeed explored avenues to ratcheting (
here and
here). BTW, ratcheting is the most requested feature for the sequencer AFAIK, and I, for one, hold a hope that we'll see it in upcoming firmware.
I know you've said (for other readers here's some context, a conversation that started on GS:
link) that you consider the MatrixBrute to be an investment, that you demand the manufacturer protects your investment and that you refuse to "work for free" by submitting bug reports. However, consider that submitting your already worked out bug list would protect your investment and it would not entail any further "free work".
Otherwise, if you're still adamant that nobody should "work for free" to report bugs, I take it that you'll either refrain from installing any future firmware that is a result of others "working for free" or that you'll be paying those "workers" for their efforts before taking advantage of their work.
That last bit is not about ratcheting, but the will to share for the benefit of the community and even oneself.
An no, we don't need a tallying of how much musical content has been shared. That's something entirely different, and at least as much for self promotion (which is fine) as for "altruistic" sharing.
Your list of "53 bugs, and three (quite major) faults" would be appreciated by the community, I'm sure. Or perhaps we could open a Kickstarter campaign to buy out your bug list
Edit to add comment:
If a pianist discovers a very useful fingering for, say, a more efficient means of executing a Chopin etude, he is under no obligation to share this fingering with the 'piano community' - nor is his not doing so somehow an attack on the piano community. He could, however, share a performance (if he chose to).
Most pianists wouldn't seek out a piano forum and say "Iv'e got a new and better fingering, but I ain't telling!". I also don't think Aphex Twin would do anything of the sort; "I have some great techniques for making cool tracks, but I'm not telling!". Incidentally I found several videos on YouTube where people teach alternate fingerings of Chopin Etudes...