[Coin-discuss] FYI: Seminar on Open Source at Columbia University, Tues 2/26

[Robin Lougee-Heimer]

FYI:  Columbia University IEOR/DRO Seminar Tuesday 02/26  (Thanks to Jon
Lee for forwarding the announcement!)

Title:  HARVESTING ALTRUISM IN OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

Speaker: Suresh Sethi, UT Dallas
Date: Tuesday, February 26
Time: 1:30-2:30 pm

Venue: 332 Uris

Abstract:  Firms have the choice of developing software either as open
source or closed source. The open source approach to software development
has been advocated as a new and better method for developing high quality
software. In open source, volunteer programmers freely contribute software
code to develop and improve the software. This paper describes the key
non-pecuniary motivations for programmers that are likely to play a crucial
role in open source contributions. Programmers are less motivated to
contribute if they observe commercial exploitation of the open source
software they helped create, leading subsequently to a reduction in
improvements to the software. A primary concern for software firms seeking
to commercially exploit open source software is, thus, how the motivation
of
contributors should be managed. In this paper we examine the effect of
pricing open source software on non-pecuniary motives and consequently on
the quality of the software. We present an equity-based model to determine
the price path and the development of open source and closed source
software
quality over time. We compare profits from the two approaches and provide
implications for firms in the software industry.

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Robin Lougee-Heimer
IBM TJ Watson Research Center
ph: 914-945-3032   fax: 914-945-3434
robinlh at us.ibm.com
http://www.coin-or.org