Debugging in OSS Always Faster

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."

Comments

ummm.....I hate subject lines.

[tx_kanuck]

w/o RTA, I would have to say that OOS is faster in debugging b/c you have:

1) More people who are looking for bugs.

2) Developers get public exposure and accolades for having good code (it's a pride thing)

3) There is no financial reason to not announce bugs.

4) Development cycle has little in the way of time constraints

5)A lot larger latitude in working conditions