Contributed by Organizations or Campuses; Articles, Papers, and Reports; Open Source Policy; and OSS
Software and Collaboration in Higher Education: A Study of Open Source Software
| Title: | Software and Collaboration in Higher Education: A Study of Open Source Software (ID: CSD4633) | | Origin: | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses (2006) | | Type: | Articles, Papers, and Reports | | Abstract: | In recent years over a dozen open source software (OSS) projects have been launched among higher education institutions with the aim of meeting the community's needs more effectively and at less cost than do commercial options presently available. There is, however, a concern in the community that its adoption is hindered by uncertainty about future support for and improvements in the software. The creation of a new organization, which we refer to with generic term "OOSS" (Organization for Open Source Software), has been proposed to address this need. This concept has received significant interest from the community and from a group of senior college and university administrators. There is a desire for further exploration of the need for such an organization and for a clearer definition of what its mission and areas of activity would be. Paul Courant, Professor of Economics and former Provost at the University of Michigan, has agreed to lead a study in collaboration with Ithaka. Michael Carter, a consultant with decades of experience in academic computing and instructional technologies with major universities and leading companies in the technology sector, is also assisting in this effort. The goal of the OOSS study is to evaluate the landscape and market environment for open source software (OSS) created by and for the higher education community, to assess the need for an organization to promote the support and adoption of these OSS projects, and to define this organization's mission and service model, should we determine that such an organization is desirable. | | View this resource: | |
The Penguin in Peril: SCO’s Legal Threats to Linux
| Title: | The Penguin in Peril: SCO’s Legal Threats to Linux (ID: CSD3707) | | Author(s): | Ishtiaque Omar (Australian National University) | | Source: | First Monday | | Origin: | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses (2005) | | Type: | Articles, Papers, and Reports | | Abstract: | This thesis reviews the novel licences employed by open source developers. The paper examines how the success of the open source Linux operating system has led to conflict with traditional closed source software firms through the case study of SCO v. IBM, currently before the United States Federal District Court. Apart from exposing weaknesses in open source licensing, the case highlights the need to consider the intellectual property laws governing inputs into software development. The thesis further explores future intellectual property legislation that may forestall open collaboration. It is argued that proponents of such development methods must engage in policy discussions to limit the exclusionary authority of intellectual property licensors, by ensuring broad user rights to protected works. | | View this resource: | |
Opening the Sources of Accountability
| Title: | Opening the Sources of Accountability (ID: CSD3591) | | Author(s): | Shay David (Cornell University) | | Source: | First Monday | | Origin: | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses (2004) | | Type: | Articles, Papers, and Reports | | Abstract: | This paper scrutinizes the concept of accountability in light of free and open source software. On the view that increasing accountability grants value to society by motivating those most likely and able to prevent risk and harm to do so, the author argues that while developing software collaboratively, licensing it openly, and distributing its source code freely are promising first steps in the long journey to rehabilitate accountability in our highly computerized society, our very understanding of what accountability is changes too. This paper analyzes the concept of accountability in an open environment and explores the implications in two mission–critical application fields in which software plays a significant role — electronic voting, and electronic medical records. It further considers the potential remedies to accountability's erosion that free and open source software offer, and the ways in which accountability can be generalized to collective action if we understand it less as punishability and more as a culture that encourages the prevention of risk and harm. | | View this resource: | |
Free and Open Source Software: Policy and Development Implications
| Title: | Free and Open Source Software: Policy and Development Implications (ID: CSD3440) | | Origin: | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses (2004) | | Type: | Articles, Papers, and Reports | | Abstract: | Free and open source software (FOSS) has become an inseparable component of the global technological ecosystem as well as of the current debate on information technology anddevelopment policy. Much of the Internet and a distinguished list of technology businesses use FOSS-based infrastructures for mission-critical tasks. Nevertheless, FOSS is ofteninsufficiently understood from an economic, human capacity and intellectual property perspective, issues with important development implications. Given a greater awareness andbetter understanding of FOSS, Governments may need to adjust their policies, primarily through their e-strategy. The notion that FOSS can have positive externalities makes it animportant consideration in countries with strong development agendas. FOSS has substantial potential for business and commercial use, and for-profit entities may benefitfrom exploring FOSS-based solutions. FOSS has triggered thinking on and consideration of issues relating to content provision and consumption in other areas of human activity suchas education, science and creative endeavours, where its contribution is making available a spectrum of solutions for creative work, research and development and knowledgedistribution, in between the proprietary model and the public domain. | | View this resource: | |
Fundamental Issues With Open Source Software Development
| Title: | Fundamental Issues With Open Source Software Development (ID: CSD3208) | | Author(s): | Michelle Levesque (University of Toronto) | | Source: | First Monday | | Origin: | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses (2004) | | Type: | Articles, Papers, and Reports | | Abstract: | Despite the growing success of the Open Source movement, most of the general public continues to feel that Open Source software is inaccessible to them. This paper discusses five fundamental problems with the current Open Source software development trend, explores why these issues are holding the movement back, and offers solutions that might help overcome these problems. The lack of focus on user interface design causes users to prefer proprietary software's more intuitive interface. Open Source software tends to lack the complete and accessible documentation that retains users. Developers focus on features in their software, rather than ensuring that they have a solid core. Open Source programmers also tend to program with themselves as an intended audience, rather than the general public. Lastly, there is a widely known stubbornness by Open Source programmers in refusing to learn from what lessons proprietary software has to offer. If Open Source software wishes to become widely used and embraced by the general public, all five of these issues will have to be overcome. | | View this resource: | |
Factors Affecting the Use of Open Source Software in Tertiary Education Institutions
| Title: | Factors Affecting the Use of Open Source Software in Tertiary Education Institutions (ID: CSD3076) | | Author(s): | David Glance (University of Western Australia), Jeremy Kerr (University of Western Australia), and Alex Reid (University of Western Australia) | | Source: | First Monday | | Origin: | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses (2004) | | Type: | Articles, Papers, and Reports | | Abstract: | Open Source Software (OSS) is software that has been released under a license which requires the distribution of the software's source code with any binaries. It is often available at no cost and is mostly supported by developers providing their services for free. Considerable interest has been shown in OSS by tertiary education institutions (TEIs) because of the promise of a reduced total cost of ownership of the software, potentially better support, freedom from vendor lock–in, ability to tailor the software and pedagogic benefits of being able to view the source code. To find out the extent of use of OSS by TEIs in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, a survey was sent out to technical personnel at all TEIs in these countries. The results of the survey show that OSS is already being used by all TEIs who responded to the survey and that the major reasons for this was lower Total Cost of Ownership and freedom from software vendor dependence. It is clear however that the majority of the OSS software being used is in server infrastructure with a lesser amount being used on normal desktop machines. | | View this resource: | |
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