CONCEPTUALIZING THE COMMONS-BASED PEERPRODUCTION OF SOFTWARE: AN ACTIVITY THEORETIC ANALYSIS

摘要: Commons-based peer-production (CBPP), as exemplified by community-based open source software (OSS) development, has been posited Yochai Benkler an alternative to hierarchies and markets for organizing the production of information goods. This study seeks conceptualize viable CBPP through Activity Theoretic analysis 524 peer-reviewed OSS research artifacts. The reveals reliance communities on complex systems interrelated tools, rules, roles mediating components enabling (i) exploit two theorized advantages (resource allocation processing) (ii) overcome challenges associated with this mode (motivation organization). clarifies extends extant understanding in several significant ways, concludes that order be viable, participants must operate a sustainable fashion both enhances commons leaves community intact.