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Key Concepts and Definitions of Open Source Communities

Key Concepts and Definitions of Open Source Communities
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Author(s): Ruben van Wendel de Joode (Twynstra Gudde Consulting, The Netherlands, and Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands)and Sebastian Spaeth (ETH Zurich, Switzerland)
Copyright: 2008
Pages: 8
Source title: Encyclopedia of Networked and Virtual Organizations
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Goran D. Putnik (University of Minho, Portugal)and Maria Manuela Cruz-Cunha (Polytechnic Institute of Cavado and Ave, Portugal)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-59904-885-7.ch099

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Abstract

Most open source software is developed in online communities. These communities are typically referred to as “open source software communities” or “OSS communities.” In OSS communities, the source code, which is the human-readable part of software, is treated as something that is open and that should be downloadable and modifiable to anyone who wishes to do so. The availability of the source code has enabled a practice of decentralized software development in which large numbers of people contribute time and effort. Communities like Linux and Apache, for instance, have been able to connect thousands of individual programmers and professional organizations (although most project communities remain relatively small). These people and organizations are not confined to certain geographical places; on the contrary, they come from literally all continents and they interact and collaborate virtually.

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