An Exploratory Study of Factors Influencing the Level of Vitality and Popularity of Open Source Projects

In this research, we ask the question: What differentiates successful from unsuccessful open source software projects? Using a sample of 240 open source projects, we examine how organizational sponsorship, target audience (developer versus end user), license choice, and development status interact over time to influence the extent to which open source software projects attract user attention and developer activity

Group Maintenance in Technology-Supported Distributed Teams

Are geographically-distributed teams which exhibit high levels of group maintenance between members successful? We answer this through content analysis of emails from two Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) teams. Our results illustrate that the groups utilize low levels of organizational citizenship behaviors and high levels of positive politeness actions

Evolutionary success of open source software: an investigation into exogenous drivers

The “success” of a Free/Libre/Open Source Software (FLOSS) project has often been evaluated through the number of commits made to its configuration management system, number of developers and number of users. Based on SourceForge, most studies have concluded that the vast majority of projects are failures. This paper argues that the relative success of a FLOSS project can depend also on the chosen forge and distribution. Given a random sample of 50 projects contained within a popular FLOSS forge (Debian, which is the basis of the successful Debian distribution), we compare these with a similar sample from SourceForge, using product and process metrics, such as size achieved and number of developers involved. The results show firstly that, depending on the forge of FLOSS projects, researchers can draw different conclusions regarding what constitutes a successful FLOSS project. Secondly, the projects included in the Debian distribution benefit, on average, from more evolutionary activity and more developers than the comparable projects on SourceForge. Finally, the Debian projects start to benefit from more activity and more developers from the point at which they join this distribution

Understanding Open Source Software: A Research Classification Framework

The success of open source applications such as Apache, Linux, and Sendmail spurred interest in this form of software, its development process, and its implication for the software industry. This interest is evident in the existing research being done to address various issues relevant to open source software and open source methodology. This paper proposes a research classification framework that: informs about the current state of open source software research, provides a formal structure to classify this research, and identifies future research opportunities

Open Source Project Collapse – Sources and Patterns of Failure

Why do open source projects fail? Open source projects have gained tremendous momentum, in theory, managerial practice and global economy. However, a large number of projects are now dormant, collapsed, or abandoned. Even celebrated success stories lose developers and fail. Yet, failure is underexplored and our understanding of developer departure is limited. Previous literature has concentrated on prospering projects, attracting contributors, and expanding communities, but it is unclear why even well-integrated members leave and projects fail. This study explores open source project failure by drawing on ten in-depth open source software case studies and netnographic analyses. We identify antecedents of developer departure, discover patterns of project collapse, and reveal where members move. We complement the dominant research logic of how to facilitate membership on-boarding with the aspect of understanding de-boarding. Our results enhance our understanding of why and how open projects fail and involve implications for open organizations

FLOSSSim: Understanding the Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) Development Process through Agent-Based Modeling

abstract: Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) is the product of volunteers collaborating to build software in an open, public manner. The large number of FLOSS projects, combined with the data that is inherently archived with this online process, make studying this phenomenon attractive. Some FLOSS projects are very functional, well-known, and successful, such as Linux, the Apache Web Server, and Firefox. However, for every successful FLOSS project there are 100's of projects that are unsuccessful. These projects fail to attract sufficient interest from developers and users and become inactive or abandoned before useful functionality is achieved. The goal of this research is to better understand the open source development process and gain insight into why some FLOSS projects succeed while others fail. This dissertation presents an agent-based model of the FLOSS development process. The model is built around the concept that projects must manage to attract contributions from a limited pool of participants in order to progress. In the model developer and user agents select from a landscape of competing FLOSS projects based on perceived utility. Via the selections that are made and subsequent contributions, some projects are propelled to success while others remain stagnant and inactive. Findings from a diverse set of empirical studies of FLOSS projects are used to formulate the model, which is then calibrated on empirical data from multiple sources of public FLOSS data. The model is able to reproduce key characteristics observed in the FLOSS domain and is capable of making accurate predictions. The model is used to gain a better understanding of the FLOSS development process, including what it means for FLOSS projects to be successful and what conditions increase the probability of project success. It is shown that FLOSS is a producer-driven process, and project factors that are important for developers selecting projects are identified. In addition, it is shown that projects are sensitive to when core developers make contributions, and the exhibited bandwagon effects mean that some projects will be successful regardless of competing projects. Recommendations for improving software engineering in general based on the positive characteristics of FLOSS are also presented.Dissertation/ThesisPh.D. Computer Science 201

Shopping centres revisited: exploring new attributes of attractiveness

Traditional retailing is facing tough challenges, driven not least by the trend towards online shopping. This paper revisits shopping centres research in light of the recent increasing role of technologies, leisure activities and changes in consumer behaviour. Drawing upon 10,544 consumers’ unsolicited communications on Twitter relating to the 19 main shopping centres in UK that were posted in May 2019, this research seeks to understand how retail attributes are unevenly distributed across consumers’ evaluations to define the attributes driving consumers’ evaluations of retail-leisure complexes. Results demonstrate the impact of each identified attribute on preferences for retail-leisure complexes. In particular, findings provide important insights for scholars and practitioners related to the design of future attractive shopping centres. Shopping centres can play an important role in contributing to the viability and vitality of towns. We consider the findings in the light of wider policy and regulatory debates

Motivations, Team Dynamics, Development Practices and How They Impact the Success of Open Source Software: A Study of Projects of Code for America Brigades

Open data movement has nurtured the growth of civic open source software (OSS) in the recent decade. This emerging phenomenon has demonstrated a way that a community can collectively utilize technology to solve its problems. This study is based on software projects in brigades of Code for America, which is a network of organizations that group volunteers to create digital solutions to community problems. In this study, we analyze the software engineering practices of current civic open source software development, participants\u27 motivations and perceptions of the projects, and provide insights on the antecedents of success of the application development. A conceptual model is developed to capture potential correlated factors and determinants of the success of civic OSS. We find that leadership, team member\u27s identification as a core team member, and his/her perception of the public benefit level of the project are predictors for his/her satisfaction level. Additionally, we find that compared to team members who are very uninterested in the technologies used in the projects, those who have strong interests in the technologies experience an increase in the odds of stronger willingness to continue in the projects