Hybrid innovation (Yuwei Lin paper)

Master on Free Software

Collaboration Between FLOSS Community and

Corporations

Comments on:

Hybrid Innovation: How Does the Collaboration Between the FLOSS Community and

Corporations Happen?

Yuwei Lin, 2006


Overview

● Introduction● A Community of Open Source Practices● Working Practices in OSS Firms● The Working Relationship Between the FLOSS Community and Firms● Tensions in the Hybrid Collaboration● The Hybrid Identity of OSS Developers● The Heterogeneous FLOSS Social World


Ghost Slide

Would you like to comment on...

... hybrid innovation?

... the stealing of knowledge?

... social networking?

... identity building?

... hybrid developers?

... from hackers to developers?


Introduction

● Yuwei Lin is a sociologist interested in● FLOSS, virtual communities, IT

● This is a qualitative study● There is not a single number on it● IT is based in 10 semi-structured interviews● A knot of opinion and very smart


Introduction

● FLOSS-based products are maturing● We are facing a hybrid innovation model

● Resources from the community● Resources from companies● Almost boundless space for experimentation


Introduction

● Hackers, they get hired by companies● Companies are less flexible than communities● But hackers inside firms, still behave like hackers● This leads to hybrid innovation● The paper shows the dynamics of this innovation


Introduction

● Cases of hybrid innovation● Ubuntu | Debian● StarOffice | OpenOffice● Red Hat | Fedora


Open Source Practices

● Decisions in FLOSS go across sociological boundaries

● Sharing source code● Trying releases● Reporting bugs

● These are based on ideals


Open Source Practices

● Boundaries are needed to preserve heterogeneity in the society● Members travelling across boundaries is a form of communication● Mutual shaping of two different organisational cultures


Working practices in OSS firms

● Collaboration between FLOSS community and companies

● Institutionalises the OSP● Brings hackers to the social world



● Massive usage of ICTs and virtual communication in FLOSS● Corporations start to communicate like this among them (ObjectWeb)● They are still companies, love paperwork, meetings, routine...● But, they appear to be more liberal...



Do you volunteer for work in your companies?



● OSS companies follow a mixture● They pursue profit (deadlines, customers, money)● Hackers are put in a cage (smaller group, specific projects, certain colleagues)● They keep linked to the community (Ubuntu hiring people working together in Debian)



“It's very rare that I [post] question[s] on the Internet. Although I sign [up] for my local Linux

community at home, usually I can find the answer to my question on the [firm's] internal mailing list”

I call this, stealing of knowledge. It is part of the mutual reshaping.

What do you think?



● They say, clients and markets are the driving forces for firms to innovate

“[Un]like KDE developers just do it because they want to do it, we [company employees] have clients, [...] the application [...] must be pretty

stable”

Commitments and clients, boost quality?



● But clients want to feel “at home”

“Everything we do is just a little variation on what we did a couple of years ago [...] you need a

reason for going somewhere else”

Commitments and clients, restrain innovation!



In FLOSS, you do not need a reason for going somewhere else.

Do a web search for PAWM...



● But you still need customers, so how to fix this?● They have to understand OSS● There is only advantages for customers● Making them understand = convincing them



● Where to find such customers?● Linux-related conferences● Virtual platforms● Snowballing contacts

● Social networking

“Knowing people is extremely important for a small company”



Can you find the sponsors of the GUADEC, AKADEMY and GUADEMY?


Relation Between Community and Firms

● There is a mutual dependency● Companies know that they need the community

“The community is actually necessary. It is. Because that's the form to share interests and to

communicate”



● The mutual-help model● Bugs-reporting and Patches-contributing● Social Networking● Identity Building● License Scheme



● Bugs-reporting and Patches-contribution● You fix and report if you want others to do the same

● If volunteers feel detracted, there will not be more contributions



What do you think about companies requesting a copyright cession with code contributions?



● Social Networking● Social capital in FLOSS provides innovation opportunities

“people starting to contribute to the project and you never asked them to do it”

“You get many friends when you do free software”



● Identity building● The community provides identity● People identify themselves with their projects like employees identify themselves with their companies● A prominent project, a stronger identity

“be known as competent and helpful”



● Licensing scheme● Some OSS licenses are invented to fit a corporations' needs

● In firms, licensing schemes are chosen with practicality over morality

● OSS licenses engage actors



Would you recommend to your company creating a new tailored license?


Tensions in the Hybrid Collaboration

● When the firms are dealing with business, complying with the OSP is no longer in their agenda●This is the only way companies can loose trust


The Hybrid Developers

● Developers in OSS companies keep close to the community● They hold a double role

● Profit and customers● Contributions to the community

● They are flexible, since they can get resources from both sides of the relationship


The Hybrid Developers

● A developer works in networking software● She volunteers in scripts detecting vulnerabilities ● The scripts get better in the community● She uses them to find flaws in her networking software● She is profiting from her position● Did we mention that the networking software does not have to be OSS?


The Heterogeneous FLOSS Social World

● Sharing the OSP● Hybrid innovation

● Community experimentation● Putting it into the market

● Standardisation of the hacker => developer


The Heterogeneous FLOSS Social World

Open and tolerant social structure where Us and Them can live together and cooperate while Others have the right to express their views

Hybrid innovation (Yuwei Lin paper)

Economy & Finance

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