Free-libre open source software as a public policy choice

Free Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) is characterised by a specific programming and development paradigm. The availability and freedom of use of source code are at the core of this paradigm, and are the prerequisites for FLOSS features. Unfortunately, the fundamental role of code is often ignored among those who decide the software purchases for Canadian public agencies. Source code availability and the connected freedoms are often seen as unrelated and accidental aspects, and the only real advantage acknowledged, which is the absence of royalty fees, becomes paramount. In this paper we discuss some relevant legal issues and explain why public administrations should choose FLOSS for their technological infrastructure. We also present the results of a survey regarding the penetration and awareness of FLOSS usage into the Government of Canada. The data demonstrates that the Government of Canada shows no enforced policy regarding the implementation of a specific technological framework (which has legal, economic, business, and ethical repercussions) in their departments and agencies

Social justice and an information democracy with free and open source software

This paper includes some thoughts on the implications of proprietary software versus free and open source software with regards to social justice, capital, and notions of an information society versus an information democracy. It outlines what free and open source software is and why it is important for social justice, and it offers three cases that highlight two salient themes. This includes a case about preference ordering and decision-making and two cases about knowing and knowledge

Corruption in Open-Source Software Organisations: A Theoretical Framework

This article analyses the corruption phenomenon in Open Source Software Organizations using a deductive approach. For that purpose, we examine whether there may be corruption motives in such organizations which are not based on the profit motive and give advice how corruption should be dealt with. Our findings demonstrate that although in Open Source Software Organizations there is no intent to realize a profit, corrupt practices may occur nonetheless and should be combated. Criteria of efficiency for the assessment of the different anti-corruption instruments are that they prohibit corruption ex-ante and that no instrument influences the motivation in a negative way. Assigning the types of people joining the open source community on Frey / Osterloh's motivation types makes an examination of the effects of the instruments possible and shows that only intrinsic instruments are suited to fight corruption in Open Source Software Organizations in an effective way

Towards An Empirical Theory of Ideologies in the Open Source Software Movement

Encompassing a diverse population of developers, non-technical users, organizations, and many other stakeholders, open source software (OSS) development has expanded to broader social movements from the initial product development aims. Ideology, as a coherent system of ideas, offers value commitments and normative implications for any social movement, so does OSS ideology for the open source movement. However, the literature on open source ideology is often fragile, or lacking in empirical evidence. In this paper, we sought to develop a comprehensive empirical theory of ideologies in open source software movement. Following a grounded theory procedure, we collected and analyzed data from 22 semi-structured interviews and 41 video recordings of Open Source Initiative (OSI) board members' public speeches. An empirical theory of OSS ideology emerged in our analysis, with six key categories: membership, norms/values, goals, activities, resources, and positions/group relations; each consists of a number of themes and subthemes. We discussed a subset of carefully selected themes and subthemes in detail based on their theoretical significance. With this ideological lens, we examined the implications and insights into open source development, and shed light on the research into open source as a social-cultural construction in the future

Open Principles in New Business Models for Information Systems

Open source software and open innovation are an important resource for today’s industries. Communities collaboratively create different kind of publicly available value, boosting innovation and also technology. However, whereas this value is generated and captured by various involved parties, the outcomes are, in many cases, commercialized by companies who build their business models on this openness. Thus, current business model representations used for these open systems mainly focus on the commercial side of companies, not directly regarding the value creation and distribution by the underlying communities. This results in a lack of potential representation of alternative value created by individuals and communities that are not necessarily aiming for direct monetary compensation. In this work, we show, by the example of open source projects, how communities create value and their potential to be represented by the upcoming domain of new business models. The emerging idea of new business models, based on sharing, collaboration, and the circular economy, not only considers economical viewpoints, but also social and ecological. New trends in research are intensively starting to investigate these models and how they can be brought to practice. The co-creation of value, collaboration of various actors, and following a shared vision are just some of the identified overlaps that are also essential for a potential representation of open communities. This first review unveils that new business models and open source software projects have a variety of aspects in common. We highlight the potential of open communities to be seen as new business models themselves, instead of just being a pure enabler for firms’ business models. This approach is leaving room to explore new organizational and economical aspects of open ecosystems, enhancing the understanding of co-creative communities and the definition of collaborative value

Market Structure and Property Rights in Open Source Industries

This Article summarizes briefly the reasons why OS industries should not come as a surprise to economists well trained in traditional competitive theory, and to dissect the economic logic underpinning them. Next it discusses the logical contradictions (or the plain neglect of facts) behind the common misconception that an OS industry is not viable

The emergence of openness in open source projects : the case of openEHR

The meaning of openness in open source is both intrinsically unstable and dynamic, and tends to fluctuate with time and context. We draw on a very particular open-source project primarily concerned with building rigorous clinical concepts to be used in electronic health records called openEHR. openEHR explains how openness is a concept that is purposely engaged with, and how, in this process of engagement, the very meaning of open matures and evolves within the project. Drawing on rich longitudinal data related to openEHR we theorise the evolving nature of openness and how this idea emerges through two intertwined processes of maturation and metamorphosis. While metamorphosis allows us to trace and interrogate the mutational evolution in openness, maturation analyses the small, careful changes crafted to build a very particular understanding of openness. Metamorphosis is less managed and controlled, whereas maturation is representative of highly precise work carried out in controlled form. Both processes work together in open-source projects and reinforce each other. Our study reveals that openness emerges and evolves in open-source projects where it can be understood to mean rigour; ability to participate; open implementation; and an open process. Our work contributes to a deepening in the theorisation of what it means to be an open-source project. The multiple and co-existing meanings of ‘open’ imply that open-source projects evolve in nonlinear ways where each critical meaning of openness causes a reflective questioning by the community of its continued status and existence