MOSC2010 Jeremy

8/9/2019 MOSC2010 Jeremy

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Anarchy and OrderBenevolent Dictatorship

Summary

Benevolent Dictatorship

in Open Source Software Projects

Jeremy Malcolm

Project Coordinator for IP and Communications

Consumers International

MSC Malaysia Open Source Conference 2010

Jeremy Malcolm Benevolent Dictatorship
http://goforward/http://find/http://goback/


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Summary

Outline

1 Anarchy and OrderA Bit of Theory

Application to Software Development

2 Benevolent DictatorshipQuestioning the Bazaar

An Explanation



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Summary

A Bit of TheoryApplication to Software Development

Network design 101

Compare the institutional structure of a software developmentproject to the design of a computer network such as the Internet.



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Summary


Network design 101


NFSNET

Hierarchicalstructure(top-down)

All hosts connectedto the NSFNET

backbonePackets routedbetween hosts bythe backbone


A h d O d


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Summary


Network design 101


The modern Internet

Distributed meshnetwork (peer topeer)

Routing functiondecentralised usingBGP

Multiple redundantpaths between hosts


A h d O d


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Summary


The Cathedral and the Bazaar


Anarchy and Order


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Summary


Bureaucratic Software Development

Traditionally:

Software development was hierarchical

Described by Eric Raymond as the cathedral model

Bureaucracy considered the most efficient by Weber

Hierarchical division of labour and written records

But then...

Bureaucracy becomes an iron cageParticularly unsuitable for (good) programmers!

Hackers should be judged by their hacking, not

bogus criteria such as degrees, age, race, or position.

Stephen Levy, Hackers


Anarchy and Order


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Summary


Bureaucratic Software Development

Traditionally:

Software development was hierarchical

Described by Eric Raymond as the cathedral model

Bureaucracy considered the most efficient by Weber

Hierarchical division of labour and written records

But then...

Bureaucracy becomes an iron cageParticularly unsuitable for (good) programmers!

Hackers should be judged by their hacking, not

bogus criteria such as degrees, age, race, or position.

Stephen Levy, Hackers


Anarchy and Order


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Summary


Decentralised Software Development

The Bazaar modelA great babbling bazaar of differing agendas and approachesproduces a stable systemNow also seen in Wikipedia, Creative Commons

Why do hackers work voluntarily?Economic explanations

A barter system, a way to further your career

We know the real reason... it is fun!

And it is fun because it is creative

And creative pursuit is fun because it is empowering

Cant proprietary models also be empowering?

Agile software development methodologies


Anarchy and OrderA Bi f Th


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Anarchy and OrderA Bit f Th


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yBenevolent Dictatorship

Summary












Anarchy and OrderA Bit of Theory


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yBenevolent Dictatorship

Summary












Anarchy and OrderQuestioning the Bazaar


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Benevolent DictatorshipSummary

Questioning the BazaarAn Explanation

Hierarchy and Open Source

OSS projects are actually pretty hierarchical

The Benevolent Dictator for Life (BDFL)

Linus If you still dont like it, thats ok: thats why Im boss.

I simply know better than you do Torvalds

Larry Perl Wall, Andrew Samba Tridgell, etcMark Shuttleworth as SABDFL

Also hierarchical institutions

Mozilla Foundation, Sun Microsystems, ASF

But what happened to we dont like hierarchy?Does hierarchy actually help?

Success of Linux, Mozilla, Apache, OpenOffice.org

Not bureaucracies but meritocracies


Anarchy and Orderl i hi

Questioning the Bazaar


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Anarchy and OrderB l Di hi



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Anarchy and OrderB l t Di t t hi



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Q gAn Explanation

Debian and Ubuntu: A Case Study

The Debian project is very consensus-focussed

Project Leader is elected by developers and is required

to make decisions which are consistent with the

consensus of the opinions of the Developers

Any decision of the Project Leader can be overruled by anordinary resolution of developers

Ubuntu is much more hierarchical

Launched in 2004 due to three-year gap between Debianwoody and sargeSABDFL appoints and has a casting vote on its TechnicalBoard and Community CouncilHierarchy between MOTU, Core Developers and Members





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gAn Explanation

Debian and Ubuntu: A Case Study

The Debian project is very consensus-focussed

Project Leader is elected by developers and is required

to make decisions which are consistent with the

consensus of the opinions of the Developers

Any decision of the Project Leader can be overruled by anordinary resolution of developers

Ubuntu is much more hierarchical

Launched in 2004 due to three-year gap between Debianwoody and sargeSABDFL appoints and has a casting vote on its TechnicalBoard and Community CouncilHierarchy between MOTU, Core Developers and Members





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An Explanation

The Open Source Licence

Open source licence enforces benevolence

Four freedoms of GNU free software:

To use, adapt, distribute, release adaptations

Exit-based empowerment for developers

When hierarchy isnt working, projects fork

Onerous trade mark conditions (Iceweasel)Lead development not meritocratic (PHP-Nuke)

Alternative feature focus (NeoOffice)

Transaction costs prevent projects forking

Development of a community of developers and users(Samba-TNG)



Questioning the BazaarA E l i


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An Explanation













Questioning the BazaarA E l ti


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An Explanation















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pSummary

An Explanation















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SummaryAn Explanation

Balancing Order and Anarchy

Software development should be funBut some hierarchy is necessary

Software projects run on social capital

Financial capital produces incomeSocial capital produces MBCA

Mutually Beneficial Collective Action

Social capital can be increased by fostering

An empowering, consensual processNorms of reciprocal voluntary participation

Debian tried paying some of its developers: bad move

Product differentiation





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S



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S


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Summary

Conclusion

Hierarchy implies power, and power corruptsBut is more orderly, predictable and accountable

Decentralisation is more empowering (ie fun)

But it relies on its participants good faith

OSS can offers the best of both worlds due to

Exit-based empowerment created by its licenceCreating social capital, raising transaction costs

Rules for a good benevolent dictator

Make sure developers are empoweredMake sure everybody has funRealise developers can fork the project if unsatisfied



Summary


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Conclusion










Summary


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Conclusion









Appendix For Further Reading


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For Further Reading I

Stephen Levy.Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution.Penguin Books, 2001.

Linus Torvalds and David Diamond.Just For Fun: the Story of an Accidental Revolutionary.

HarperCollins, 2001.

Eric Raymonds.

The Cathedral and the Bazaar.http://www.catb.org/.

http://www.catb.org/http://www.catb.org/http://www.catb.org/http://goforward/http://find/http://goback/

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MOSC2010 Jeremy