The usability of open source software: analysis and prospects

Open source communities have successfully developed many pieces of software although most computer users only use proprietary applications. The usability of open source software is often regarded as one reason for this limited distribution. In this paper we review the existing evidence of the usability of open source software and discuss how the characteristics of open-source development influence usability. We describe how existing human-computer interaction techniques can be used to leverage distributed networked communities, of developers and users, to address issues of usability

Usability and open source software.

Open source communities have successfully developed many pieces of software although most computer users only use proprietary applications. The usability of open source software is often regarded as one reason for this limited distribution. In this paper we review the existing evidence of the usability of open source software and discuss how the characteristics of open-source development influence usability. We describe how existing human-computer interaction techniques can be used to leverage distributed networked communities, of developers and users, to address issues of usability

Usability discussions in open source development

The public nature of discussion in open source projects provides a valuable resource for understanding the mechanisms of open source software development. In this paper we explore how open source projects address issues of usability. We examine bug reports of several projects to characterise how developers address and resolve issues concerning user interfaces and interaction design. We discuss how bug reporting and discussion systems can be improved to better support bug reporters and open source developers

Exploring usability discussions in open source development

The public nature of discussion in open source projects provides a valuable resource for understanding the mechanisms of open source software development. In this paper we explore how open source projects address issues of usability. We examine bug reports of several projects to characterise how developers address and resolve issues concerning user interfaces and interaction design. We discuss how bug reporting and discussion systems can be improved to better support bug reporters and open source developers

Improving Open Source Software Usability

Usability of open source systems is becoming a relevant topic for investigation given the proliferation of open source software. General assumptions do not favor a positive relationship between the existing open source development model and good usability due to a host of social context reasons. In this paper we provide empirical evidence on this issue through a case study using an open source project called Ganttproject. Results point to likely deficiencies in the open source model. An analysis of this phenomena and some potential solutions for improving open source usability are proposed

Introducing Usability Activities into Open Source Software Development Projects – Searching for a Suitable Approach

Usability is an important quality characteristic of software products and systems. Different approaches for introducing usability activities into SW development have not yet been evaluated with respect to open source software (OSS). This paper tests the introduction of usability activities through four empirical case studies in the OSS development context. Case studies were carried out using four OSS projects that were not commercially supported. Empirical analysis suggests that usability specialists should become members of the OSS community, but, at the same time, should keep an objective view. The usability activities had substantially more impact when specialists introduced and carried them out as fellow members of the OSS community than as usability consultants from outside the community. The importance of management commitment for usability activities is discussed in the OSS context. The challenge of adapting usability and OSS development philosophies together should be researched further

Comparative Review of the Features of Automated Software Testing Tools

Software testing is considered to be one of the most important processes in software development for it verifies if the system meets the user requirements and specification. Manual testing and automated testing are two ways of conducting software testing. Automated testing gives software testers the ease to automate the process of software testing thus considered more effective when time, cost and usability are concerned. There are a wide variety of automated testing tools available, either open source or commercial. This paper provides a comparative review of features of open source and commercial testing tools that may help users to select the appropriate software testing tool based on their requirements

Forking: the Invisible Hand of Sustainability in Open Source Software

The ability to create and maintain high-quality software artifacts that preserve their usability over time is one of the most essential characteristics of the software business. In such a setting, open source software offers excellent examples of sustainability. In particular, safeguarding mechanisms against planned obsolescence by any single actor are built into the very definition of open source development. The most powerful of these safeguarding mechanisms is the ability to fork the project as a whole. In this position paper, we argue that the possibility to fork any open source program serves as the invisible hand of sustainability, ensuring that the code can always remain open and that the code that best fulfills the needs of the community will live on

Crowdsourced User-Testing

The presented thesis investigates facilitating software quality assurance in open source communities through a human computation platform. Inexperienced community members can contribute formalized user testing data, which is then aggregated and presented to the developers. The implemented prototype, named open crowdsourced user-testing suite (OPEN-CUTS), was evaluated in a usability study in the UBports Community. The viability of this approach has been demonstrated, and further goals for research and development are proposed