The document discusses the governance of open source software communities, emphasizing the importance of behavioral expectations for collaboration between organizations and free/libre open source software (FLOSS) communities. It highlights the need for community governance, the development of social norms, and the motivations for contributors to engage with the community, focusing on meritocracy and ethical principles. The author underscores the balance between open and closed elements in software development and encourages awareness of barriers to entry.

1. Open Source Governance between Community and Business
Mirko Boehm
South Tyrol Free Software Conference 2017

2. What are the behavioural expectations outside organisations have
to be aware of to successfully collaborate with FLOSS
communities?
Question

3. About Me: Free and Open Source Software contributor
Founder and CEO, Endocode.
Director, Linux System Definition, Open Invention Network.
KDE contributor since 1997, former board member.
Visiting lecturer and researcher at the Technical University of Berlin.
Fellowship representative in the FSFE general assembly.
Openforum Academy fellow.

5. The “Open Source Way” - a social process for the production of
common information goods.

6. A free software community produces common information goods
based on voluntary participation of contributors.

7. The need for community governance: specialisation/division of labor
(internal), contributor fluctuation (external).

8. C.p., social norms develop depending on community composition.

9. Software is free if it is licensed freely.
The governance of community processes define their openness.
These issues are orthogonal.

10. The Mindset Behind Community Governance

11. Engaging In A Community Of Makers
• “come for the technology, stay for the people”
• To create that product needs to be a positive, creative challenge to be
motivative.
• Growing to be a part of the social group becomes important over time,
• …because the community mission is something “worth fighting for”.
• Most limiting factor to own contributions: time.

12. Equality Of Opportunity Among Peers
• “doing” over “talking”
• The need for more than grass-root meritocracy develops in medium and late
stage.
• Subgroups form “little villages with chieftains” to maintain a sense of
productivity.
• Productive contribution opportunities are expected to match ethical
convictions.

13. Makers And Community Builders
Over time, being a member of the community
becomes a goal in itself, where previously
community membership was a means to
facilitate contributions to a product.

14. An Ambitious, Productive Meritocracy Of Equals
• Contributors develop strong loyalty to their community.
• What contributors expect from their community: a welcoming, inviting culture;
meritocracy; equality of opportunity
• they want their communities to be useful and productive
• ...and ambitious

15. Ethical Principles Applicable To Community Governance
• Individual ethical principles are considered an outside variable. Community
governance norms need to reflect them.
• Principles contributors apply to their community are:
• working code/code first (actions over words)
• meritocracy
• solidarity
• transparency

16. Lessons

17. “Code First”

18. Openness = License + Governance

19. Be aware of growing barriers of entry!

20. Transparency

21. Authority

22. We Live in a Hybrid
Open/Closed World.

23. 80%20%
Competitive Space
Collaborative Space
System Software
MiddlewareSystem Tools Programming
Networking Virtualization Containers Storage
Your app here

26. Voluntary Participation

27. Thank you!
Any Questions?
mirko@endocode.com
@mirkoboehm