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Open Source Organization Models Discussed

Posted by simoniker on from the rigidity-infers-stupidity? dept.

blogologue writes "Harvard Business School has an article up discussing The Organizational Model for Open Source. It has some good points, and I think it sums up what many of us know, but haven't quite been able to put into words yet: 'People are intimately aware of the fact that too much structure will disenfranchise the very people who make the most successful open source projects possible.'"

5 of 70 comments (clear)

  1. The golden rule, as always.. by jkrise · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If it's good, widely accepted, and works well - don't fix it. Open Source, GPL etc. should fit into this category.

    --
    If you keep throwing chairs, one day you'll break windows....
  2. Fourth big challenge by aaronlev · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Removing the cobwebs. People almost never remove old stuff. For example: - old projects from sourceforge - old module owners from the mozilla.org list of module owners - old out of date documentation The older a project our the community gets, the more bloated it will get with incorrect information. Try to do some work, and find you wasted a day because of out of date stuff. Projects need a little, eek dare I say, management.

  3. Only one? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The article is titled The Organizational Model for Open Source, but is there really only one model? The Linux "benevolent dictator", Perl "pumpking"[1], FreeBSD "board" etc. are all different models (And there are more). Surely all these different models have different dynamics?

    [1]: Fnur fnur

  4. Forgot SCO?? by jkrise · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The biggest challenge comes from those who lose when a particular model succeeds. Proprietary, closed-source, cash-strapped, IP wielding firms who employ (litigious bastards -to quote Slashdot) are bigger challenges.

    Not to mention being branded communists, success haters, neo-terrorists, non-conformists, traitors etc.

    The fact that Open Source succeeds despite all the above does indeed speak very highly of it's underlying strength of purpose and motivation.

    --
    If you keep throwing chairs, one day you'll break windows....
  5. Good managers vs PHB stereotype by seosamh · · Score: 5, Insightful

    According to the article,

    "Much of what is funny about Dilbert cartoons is the disgust that technical workers have for managers who do not have intimate knowledge of the content of their work."

    That doesn't match my experience. The best managers, those who can clear the way for/get out of the way of their technical staff, don't earn disgust, but respect, despite not having "intimate knowledge of the content" of the techies' work.

    Generalizing to all managers who don't understand the technical content misses the point.