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COMP 491/492

Dickinson College Computer Science Senior Seminar

Discussion or project status; Discussion of what motivates people and businesses to participate in H/F/OSS projects.

What motivates open source software contributors? - This article from Opensource.com takes a fresh look at what motivates individuals to contribute to open source. [~4 pages] See the supplemental article by Goron Haff for the earlier view.
Why Companies Contribute to Open Source - Velichka Atanasova, Open Source Engineering Manager at VMware, gives her take on why companies support open source. [~10 min read]
Setting Up Shop: The Business of Open-Source Software - Frank Hecker, who helped Netscape decide to go open source, describes some open source business models. [7 pages].
Post questions from the above materials for class discussion to the Moodle forum. Please also feel free to comment on or respond to others’ questions as appropriate.

Why do we contribute to open source software? - Gordon Haff from Red Hat on what motivates individuals to contribute to open source.
Carrots and Rainbows: Motivation and Social Practice in Open Source Software Development - An influential research paper on individual motivations for participating in open source.
Why do commercial companies contribute to open source software? - An longer academic look at why businesses contribute to open source.
The Magic Cauldron - A foundational paper by Eric Raymond discussing the economics of open-source software and the ways in which it makes sense for businesses to be involved.
Open Source Business Models - A More In Depth View - Peter Groen and Roger Maduro discuss some commonly used open source business models.