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Study Reports On Debian Governance, Social Organization

andremachado writes "Two academic management researchers, Siobhán O'Mahony and Fabrizion Ferraro, performed a detailed scientific study about Debian Project governance and social organization from the management perspective. How did a big non-commercial non-paying community evolve to produce some of the most respectable Operating Systems and applications packages available? Organizations without a consensual basis of authority lack an important condition necessary for their survival. Those with directly democratic forms of participation do not tend to scale well and are noted for their difficulty managing complexity and decision-making — all of which can hasten their demise. The Debian Project community designed and evolved a solid governance system since 1993 able to establish shared conceptions of formal authority, leadership, and meritocracy, limited by defined democratic adaptive mechanisms."

8 of 65 comments (clear)

  1. I thought... by msauve · · Score: 5, Funny

    it was an anarcho-syndicalist commune, where they take it in turns to act as a sort of executive officer for the week, but all the decisions of that officer have to be ratified at a special biweekly meeting.

    --
    "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    1. Re:I thought... by ojustgiveitup · · Score: 5, Funny

      Help Help! You're being repressed! Come and see the violence inherent in the system!

  2. Just an observation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Ubuntu is 10x better than Debian

    1. Re:Just an observation by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 5, Funny

      Um, Ubuntu is Debian plus polish.


      So that explains the polka startup sounds....

    2. Re:Just an observation by ViperAFK · · Score: 2, Funny

      I thought ubuntu was debian with out 15,000 cd's

    3. Re:Just an observation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      The malt liquor icon on the Ubuntu bootup is finally explained by this young man who toots and jenks.

  3. Debian governance by MECC · · Score: 3, Funny

    I for one welcome our debian ... nevermind.

    --
    "We are all geniuses when we dream"
    - E.M. Cioran
  4. Re:Was this sponsored by the federal government? by Qzukk · · Score: 4, Funny

    That sure in heck sounds like something the government would put out.

    Except for the meritocracy part, that implies the people in charge have some sort of qualification for being in charge.

    --
    If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.