[Xorg] why is it so hard to get specs?

[David Eger]

I'm curious:

Why don't ATI/Nvidia/etc. ever seem to want to release programming specs 
for their chips or source code for their drivers?

Doesn't everyone benefit from peer review?  These companies want to sell
chips, no?  The graphics card makers don't actually sell drivers... :-/

Is there anything we as a community can do to encourage them to be more 
forthcoming?  Could someone working at some said company proffer an 
honest answer?

-dte