I was trying to find some objective example of a gift economy (something I typically find idyllic and impractical), but there's one example that most can relate to - the waiter/server - the tipping economy. As I read through the original post and its comments, I was envisioning the gift economy within the greed economy, being subsidized by a third party. These are essentially the service employees. Most of them are paid by a third party but tipping transcends that.
It's worth contemplating the implications of paying through a tip vs. relying on wage-based service. While I'm fundamentally more comfortable in a greed-based economy, I prefer tipping and commission for my personal services. It's an interesting anomaly, no?
That is an interesting point. I'd look to the STEEM blockchain as well. Everyone here is creating content, putting it out there, and then just seeing how much the community gifts them for that content. It is a great example because in measurable, numerical data, it is rewarding to give, and you don't lose anything by it.