US government targets open-source software flaws

2022 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Us Government

Headline US: Government targets open-source software flaws

scholarly journals Options for putting CDS/ISIS databases on the internet

2006 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 286-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Buxton
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Programming Languages ◽  
Operating Systems ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Content Type

PurposeTo review the variety of software solutions available for putting CDS/ISIS databases on the internet. To help anyone considering which route to take.Design/methodology/approachBriefly describes the characteristics, history, origin and availability of each package. Identifies the type of skills required to implement the package and the kind of application it is suited to. Covers CDS/ISIS Unix version, JavaISIS, IsisWWW, WWWISIS Versions 3 and 5, Genisis, IAH, WWW‐ISIS, and OpenIsis.FindingsThere is no obvious single “best” solution. Several are free but may require more investment in acquiring the skills to install and configure them. The choice will depend on the user's experience with CDS/ISIS formatting language, HTML, programming languages, operating systems, open source software, and so on.Originality/valueThere is detailed documentation available for most of these packages, but little previous guidance to help potential users to distinguish and choose between them.

scholarly journals Knowledge sharing in open source software communities: motivations and management

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 791-813 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zilia Iskoujina ◽  
Joanne Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – This paper aims to add to the understanding of knowledge sharing in online communities through an investigation of the relationship between individual participant’s motivations and management in open source software (OSS) communities. Drawing on a review of literature concerning knowledge sharing in organisations, the factors that motivate participants to share their knowledge in OSS communities, and the management of such communities, it is hypothesised that the quality of management influences the extent to which the motivations of members actually result in knowledge sharing. Design/methodology/approach – To test the hypothesis, quantitative data were collected through an online questionnaire survey of OSS web developers with the aim of gathering respondents’ opinions concerning knowledge sharing, motivations to share knowledge and satisfaction with the management of OSS projects. Factor analysis, descriptive analysis, correlation analysis and regression analysis were used to explore the survey data. Findings – The analysis of the data reveals that the individual participant’s satisfaction with the management of an OSS project is an important factor influencing the extent of their personal contribution to a community. Originality/value – Little attention has been devoted to understanding the impact of management in OSS communities. Focused on OSS developers specialising in web development, the findings of this paper offer an important original contribution to understanding the connections between individual members’ satisfaction with management and their motivations to contribute to an OSS project. The findings reveal that motivations to share knowledge in online communities are influenced by the quality of management. Consequently, the findings suggest that appropriate management can enhance knowledge sharing in OSS projects and online communities, and organisations more generally.

Participation in community-based free/libre open source software development tasks: the impact of task characteristics

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kangning Wei ◽  
Kevin Crowston ◽  
U. Yeliz Eseryel
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Task Characteristics ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Individual Participation ◽  
And Task ◽  
Development Tasks

PurposeThis paper explores how task characteristics in terms of trigger type and task topic influence individual participation in community-based free/libre open source software (FLOSS) development by considering participation in individual tasks rather than entire projects.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative study was designed using choose tasks that were carried out via the email discourse on the developers' email fora in five FLOSS projects. Choice process episodes were selected as the unit of analysis and were coded for the task trigger and topic. The impact of these factors on participation (i.e. the numbers of participants and messages) was assessed by regression.FindingsThe results reveal differences in participation related to different task triggers and task topics. Further, the results suggest the mediating role of the number of participants in the relationships between task characteristics and the number of messages. The authors also speculate that project type serves as a boundary condition restricting the impacts of task characteristics on the number of participants and propose this relationship for future research.Research limitations/implicationsEmpirical support was provided to the important effects of different task characteristics on individual participation behaviors in FLOSS development tasks.Practical implicationsThe findings can help FLOSS participants understand participation patterns in different tasks and choose the types of tasks to attend to.Originality/valueThis research explores the impact of task characteristics on participation in FLOSS development at the task level, while prior research on participation in FLOSS development has focused mainly on factors at the individual and/or project levels.

Educational use of free and open source software (FOSS): international development and its implications for higher education

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenggui Duan ◽  
Tracy K. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Open Source ◽  
International Development ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Control Cost ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Education In Hong Kong

Purpose Free and open-source software (FOSS) has been used worldwide because of the advantages of user control, cost-saving, flexibility, openness, freedom, more security and better stability. The purpose of this study is to explore the status quo of educational application of FOSS and the trends from international perspectives and its implications for higher education in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach The method of cluster analysis was used in this study. The Web of Science database was used as the data source and all relevant literature for the year 2010–2020 on the theme of “FOSS” was collected for analysis. The information visualization software CiteSpace was used for citation visualization analysis, revealing the research results of FOSS worldwide, including hot spots and development trends. Findings This paper found that FOSS has become an important research area and is playing an important role in the reform and development of education. Meanwhile, the development and application of FOSS have regional imbalances and strong differentiation, including the educational sector. The paper also found that although FOSS has entered the stage of interdisciplinary development, the research and development of FOSS in the field of education is insufficient, which poses a huge challenge to decision-makers, teachers and students. Originality/value Implications for higher education in Hong Kong including: attach importance to and vigorously promote FOSS research and practice to benefit more teachers and students; teachers and students need to be trained for acquiring the awareness and skills of FOSS applications and formulate different strategies; the government should provide greater support to formulate and implement a short and middle-term development plan to facilitate the application of FOSS; and Hong Kong higher education institutions may strengthen exchanges and cooperation with counterparts around the world to jointly promote the development of FOSS. It is hoped that the findings will provide a reference for the study and application of FOSS in higher education in Hong Kong.

The context and state of open source software adoption in US academic libraries

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 641-659
Author(s):  
Namjoo Choi ◽  
Joseph A. Pruett
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Chief Information Officers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Software Adoption ◽  
Current State ◽  
Funding Agencies ◽  
Low Levels

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify barriers and drivers to open source software (OSS) adoption, and measures awareness and adoption stages of OSS in US academic libraries. Design/methodology/approach An online survey of chief information officers, chief technology officers or heads for IT in US academic libraries was conducted. A total number of 179 responses were used for data analysis. Findings From the survey, the authors identify significant barriers and drivers that US academic libraries may consider before adopting OSS and found that awareness itself is not a barrier. While about half of respondents confirmed using OSS, the authors found surprisingly low levels of intent to adopt from current non-adopters. Practical implications This research offers insights for promoting OSS adoption. Also, it provides funding agencies and administrators with guidelines to encourage successful deployment of OSS in higher education. Originality/value While extant research is mostly anecdotal, this research draws from an online survey to snap-shot the current state of OSS adoption in US academic libraries and provides a baseline for practice and research.

How do Open Source software companies respond to institutional pressures? A business model perspective

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 534-554
Author(s):  
Khaireddine Mouakhar ◽  
Albéric Tellier
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Institutional Pressures ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Software Companies ◽  
Key Resources

Purpose Open Source software companies (OSSCs) are confronted with institutional pressures from Open Source software (OSS) communities. They must find an acceptable balance between the expectations of these communities and their own business model. However, there are still few studies that try to analyse the OSSC business models. The purpose of this paper is to highlight OSSC typical business models by using rich empirical data. Design/methodology/approach The methodology is based on a combination of quantitative analysis of a sample of 66 OSSCs and qualitative analysis of three typical situations resulting from that sample. Findings The quantitative study enables the authors to highlight three typical business models. The in-depth study of three typical cases enables the authors to specify these OSSC business models. The authors can distinguish four key dimensions: the relationship developed with the OSS communities, the strategic manoeuvres made, the key resources and competitive positioning. Research limitations/implications The results indicate that it is possible for firms to accommodate both profit and non-profit logics using different strategic manoeuvres to position themselves with regard to the Open Source institutional environment. Such accommodation requires the development of key resources and the adoption of suitable competitive positioning. Practical implications This study allows the authors to highlight two main practical contributions for OSSCs’ directors. First, the different manoeuvres identified may help them to ensure coherence between their strategic choices and the business model chosen. Second, the results can help OSSC founders identify value creation mechanisms more clearly by analysing four key variables. Originality/value This paper provides new insight about OSSCs business models. It aggregates four dimensions that provide a more “fine-grained” analysis of business models, while other studies often emphasise one dimension (usually the regime of appropriability).

Deployment of open source electronic content management software in national government departments in South Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 190-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mpho Ngoepe
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Content Management ◽  
National Government ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Management Software ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Electronic Content

Purpose – This paper aims to report the deployment of open source electronic content management software in national government departments in South Africa, with the view to raise awareness of the free and open source software (FOSS) policy. Many countries including South Africa have developed policies that encourage the deployment of free and open source software (FOSS). Design/methodology/approach – The paper opted for qualitative data collected through interviews with four chief information officers, five information technology (IT) officials, two records managers from government departments, one archivist from the National Archives of South Africa and one IT official from the State Information Technology Agency; these were selected purposively from national government departments. Furthermore, a free test trial of open source software, Alfresco Community Edition, was conducted for a 30-day period during September 2013. Alfresco was chosen as it is the preferred FOSS in government departments in South Africa. Findings – The key finding reveals that, in contrast with the FOSS policy, governmental bodies in South Africa preferred proprietary software over FOSS, as only one government department has migrated to FOSS. The reasons cited for the low uptake of open source electronic content management include the perceived lack of support for FOSS or short lifespan support which was confirmed through the trial test, as well as a lack of IT skills by records management practitioners who are responsible for implementation of electronic content management and hidden costs as the internal staff would spend time supporting, tailoring and enhancing the software. It is observed that failure to raise awareness and benefits of the FOSS policy in South Africa will curtail the document into a dull epistle. Research limitations/implications – Due to the chosen research approach and sampling method, the results were not generalised to the population. It is hoped that the study will stimulate further research interest and raise awareness in government departments with regard to FOSS policy implementation, especially in the area of electronic content management. Practical implications – The paper shows the difficulty in implementing a policy and putting it into practice without looking into its practical feasibility. Originality/value – This research attempts to bridge the gap and bring new elements by assessing the level of FOSS adoption in the area of electronic content management which is often ignored by the government and also less researched by scholars.

scholarly journals Dilemmas within commercial involvement in open source software

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 344-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malgorzata Ciesielska ◽  
Ann Westenholz
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Level Of Involvement ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Literature Reviews ◽  
Open Source Communities ◽  
Social Logics

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the literature about the commercial involvement in open source software, levels of this involvement and consequences of attempting to mix various logics of action. Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses the case study approach based on mixed methods: literature reviews and news searches, electronic surveys, qualitative interviews and observations. It combines discussions from several research projects as well as previous publications to present the scope of commercial choices within open source software and their consequences. Findings – The findings show that higher levels of involvement in open source software communities poses important questions about the balance between economic, technological, and social logics as well as the benefits of being autonomous, having access to collaborative networks and minimizing risks related to free-riding. There are six levels of commercial involvement in open source communities, and each of them is characterized by a different dilemma. Originality/value – The paper sheds light on the various level of involvement of business in open source movement and emphasize that the popularized “open innovation” concept is only the first step in real involvement and paradigm shift.

Open Source Software solutions in Indian libraries

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 409-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anilkumar Hanumappa ◽  
Mallikarjun Dora ◽  
Viral Navik
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Sample Population ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Library Management ◽  
Library Automation ◽  
Library Management System ◽  
Library Professionals

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the Open Source Software (OSS) market relevant to Indian libraries and more specifically, to review the existing library automation, i.e. Integrated Library Management System (ILMS) and Digital Library (DL) software solutions. Design/methodology/approach – Survey method was adopted to collect data for this study and the sample population for this study included 356 library professionals. Findings – The study findings indicate presence of OSS like Koha and NewGenLib in the ILMS category and Dspace, Eprints and Greenstone in the DL software category in India. The study also indicates that there is considerable interest among Indian libraries to adopt or migrate to OSS. Research limitations/implications – The sample included largely, more than 80 percent, responses from the academic library segment and hence the results and analysis maybe more skewed to the academic library segment. However the implications of this study could be extended to other type of libraries and facilitate library professionals to make software choices with respect to library automation. Originality/value – In addition to exploring the opportunities of OSS implementation in Indian libraries, the study includes issues related to migration, implementation, budget, training, etc. The study would have value for library professionals and OSS vendors to understand the Indian library market in the context of OSS.

The current state of library open source software research

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron Palmer ◽  
Namjoo Choi
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Classification Scheme ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Public Access ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Reference Source ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Current State

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to assess the current state of research on open source software (OSS) in the library context. Design/methodology/approach – This study employs a descriptive literature review. It categorizes library OSS research according to a classification scheme developed for the study, and analyzes the research based on year published, publication outlet, type of software discussed, type of article, type of library, and article topic. Findings – The authors found significant research attention devoted to open source repository applications, online public access catalog (OPAC) software, and integrated library systems (ILS). The majority of article types employed were case studies and discussion pieces. When articles were focused on a specific library, it was dominantly an academic library. Article topics centered around OSS adoption, development, provision of foundational or introductory information, and OSS performance. Originality/value – The authors are not aware of any other study that surveys and synthesizes the literature on OSS in the library context. Not only does this study provide a reference source and classification scheme for those conducting future research in this area to utilize, but it also identifies areas in this field that have received the most research attention, as well as areas that could benefit from future studies. This study will prove helpful to scholars looking for directions to take their research.

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