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The power of gifts: organizing social relationships in open source communities

By Magnus Bergquist & Jan Ljungberg The Viktoria Institute, Göteborg, Sweden. The power of gifts: organizing social relationships in open source communities. Open source communities. Empirical data collected over a period of 2 years Texts and papers Scanning news groups and discussions etc.

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The power of gifts: organizing social relationships in open source communities

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  1. By Magnus Bergquist & Jan LjungbergThe Viktoria Institute, Göteborg, Sweden The power of gifts: organizing social relationships in open source communities

  2. Open source communities Empirical data collected over a period of 2 years • Texts and papers • Scanning news groups and discussions etc

  3. Actors and Stakeholders • Owner (founder, assigned or preserver)‏ • Core developers • Developers • Defect repair • Tester (end users)‏ • User support (mundane)‏

  4. Open source development Exchange culture vs gift cultures characterized by Scarcity or abundance

  5. Gifts • The practice is culturally defined and socially determining activity • ”Giving a gift brings forth a demand for returning a gift, either another object or, in a more symbolic fashion, forces of power connected to the objects” • ”To give away something is to express an advantegeous position in relation to the recipient”

  6. Gifts • The Internet • Reproduction cost ~$0 • Non-deminishing value • The social character of gifts still doesn't disappear

  7. Gifts vs Commodity transactions • The giving of gifts should not involve explicit bargaining • ”By giving away, the giver shows superiority and the receiver becomes dependent. There is an obligation to repay the gift in the future.”

  8. Decision making • Closed circle of developers? • Who gets in? • Flaming

  9. Reputation and Status Giving to the community is what makes the individual a hero in the eyes of others Important: • Leadership • Common goals

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