Trevor Wood‐Harper and Bob Wood
This paper is intended to pay tribute to the inspiration provided by Rob Kling by showing how his ideas about social informatics in general and the use of web models in…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper is intended to pay tribute to the inspiration provided by Rob Kling by showing how his ideas about social informatics in general and the use of web models in particular, have helped us to formulate and develop our own work in the field of information systems development methods.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual discussion and approach are taken.
Findings
Illustrates how Kling's advocacy of the need for a more holistic form of explanation of the behaviour of what he (and Walt Scacchi) termed “computer resources” gave shape to ideas emerging from others' action research studies at that time, and how his attempts to set the agenda for the emerging field of Social Informatics have informed subsequent developments in work in the area of methodological inquiry.
Originality/value
Provides an evaluation of Kling's pioneering and inspirational work on information and communication technologies.
Details
Keywords
Margaret S. Elliott and Walt Scacchi
The paper has three purposes: the first is to provide a deeper understanding of the ideology and work practices of free and open source software development, the second to…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper has three purposes: the first is to provide a deeper understanding of the ideology and work practices of free and open source software development, the second to characterize the free software movement as a new type of computerization movement and the third to present a conceptual diagram and framework with an analysis showing how the free software computerization movement has evolved into an occupational community.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative data were collected over a four year period using a virtual ethnography in a study of free and open source software development and, in particular, a study of a free software community, GNUenterprise, located at www.gnuenterprise.org, which has the goal of developing a free enterprise resource planning software system.
Findings
It is concluded that the ideology of the free software movement continues to be one of the factors which mobilize people to contribute to free and open source software development. This movement represents a new type of computerization movement which promotes the investment of time in learning a new software development process instead of investment of money in the acquisition and use of new technology.
Research limitations/implications
The research findings are limited by a detailed study of only one free software development project.
Practical implications
This paper is of significance to software developers and managers of firms who wish to incorporate free and open source software into their companies.
Originality/value
This research presents an original conceptual diagram and framework for how computerization movements have emerged into an occupational community.