Title
Standardization and Other Coordination Mechanisms in Open Source Software
Author
Tineke M Egyedi, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands, and Ruben van Wendel de Joode, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
Date
1/01/2005
(Original Publish Date: 2004)
(Original Publish Date: 2004)
Abstract
Open Source Software (OSS) offers programmers the opportunity to elaborate and adapt source code. It is an opportunity to diverge. We would therefore expect incompatible strains of software to develop, and consequently a demand for standardization to arise. However, this is only partly the case. In this paper we explore which other coordinative mechanisms are at work apart from committee standardization. We identify four other categories of coordinative mechanisms, and illustrate their relevance in OSS development. They complement committee standardization, can be used in standardization, and are sometimes an alternative to standardization.
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