Hi :-)
I’m trying to make sense of the following arguments lets-see how far we can get:
1/ Open source (OS) development processes overcome many of the challenges that other methods of software development face.
2/ the idea that if OS processes are adapted in organizations than organizations’ will enjoy their many tributes is still prevailing
3/ However, evidence shows the OS development processes have NOT been widely adapted by organizations, certainly not as you would expect.
4/ the reasons for the later are that open source is based on a different set of economic, social and political assumptions suited for the digital world.
For example – ownership in OS is perceived as the right to distribute rather then the right to exclude. While organizations fight over scarce resources OS projects operate within a world of infinite resources. Their challenge (economic-political-social) is to attract as many contributors’ to their project as the only scarce resource is talent.
5/ OS is not a movement, it operates as a network, with many diverse motivations and is designed to encompass many possible flexibly changing centers, according to changing needs.
6/ Open source is part of the prevailing system and operates within it. Successful OS projects are always initiated in response to a specific moment and time in reality, and are intimately linked to main stream economy (Weber, 2004).
7/ However OS constantly shift’s the balance towards market production and regulation as apposed to government and hierarchical organizations. For example, there is growing evidence that suggests that innovation in many areas is better conducted in the market then within the hierarchical organization.
8/ Finally I argue that mapping the areas in which successful OS projects have emerged can provide evidence on future change in a variety of areas associated with the project. While mapping areas in which OS projects have not been successful can provide evidence to areas in which the hierarchical organization provides a superior solution.
9/ Just to give you a taste of the possibilities’ described at point no. 8 consider the OS Bitcoin project…
Gilad Ben-Yossef has kindly provided me with great insights to some of these ideas, especially with regard to points 6, 7 and 9, in any case I take sole responsibility to all points J.