The Meanings and Motivations of Open-Source Communities

At the heart of Phipps's analysis is a process of decentralization that is affecting the lives of people across the globe. With the advent of the web and broadband, and with large-scale participation on networks, information can flow freely anywhere, any time, and from any direction. The Information Age is fast becoming the Participation Age as citizens communicate with governments, customers provide input to businesses, and - of greatest significance for developers - collaborative software ecosystems spring up everywhere, fundamentally altering the way software is produced. Not long ago, software was developed by hiring smart people, locking them in a room, and sliding pizza under the door until the job was done.