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Debugging in OSS Always Faster

Posted by michael on from the bugging-also-always-faster dept.

dex@ruunat writes "Damien Challet and Yann Le Du of the University of Oxford studied a model of software bug dynamics, which resulted in a paper on cond-mat this morning. In this paper they study the difference in evolution of number of bugs in open and closed source projects. They conclude: 'When the program is written from scratch, the first phase of development is characterized by a fast decline of the number of bugs, followed by a slow phase where most bugs have been fixed, hence, are hard to find'. Another, perhaps surprising conclusion is that debugging in open source projects is always faster than in closed source projects."

2 of 297 comments (clear)

  1. Models? by DogIsMyCoprocessor · · Score: 1, Offtopic
    From the abstract -

    We introduce a model of software bug dynamics where users, programmers and maintainers interact through a given program. When the program is written from scratch, the first phase of development is characterized by a fast decline of the number of bugs, followed by a slow phase where most bugs have been fixed, hence, are hard to find. For a given set of parameters, debugging in open source projects is always faster than in closed source projects. Finally, we determine qualitative lowers bounds to quality of Linux programmers.

    I have introduced a model of sociological models. For almost all parameters, the sociological model turns out to be complete and utter bullshit.

    --

    "And this is my boy, Sherman. Speak, Sherman." "Hello." "Good boy."

  2. In other news... by Bigmell · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    People who use OSS extensively also tend to have bigger penises.