A philosophical investigation of Linux Communities
This might be slightly off topic but have a look at Ko's writing
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 06 Feb 2000 23:27:14 -0800
From: Ko Kuwabara <kokopuff@cukezone.com>
To: Christoph Lameter <christoph@lameter.com>
Subject: my thesis on linux
First of all, thank you very much, once again, for all the help you have
given me last year.
I have finally finished my thesis on Linux, which is at
www.cukezone.com/kk49/linux/contents.html
The paper discusses the "improbable" development of the Linux kernel in the
hands of part-time volunteer hackers scattered across the Internet.
Admittedly, only a few of the ideas presented in the paper are my own. For
one, the discussion burrows heavily from papers by Eric Raymond, nor are my
conclusions much unlike his. For another, the overall framework is a rather
broad, however directly relevant, application of the emerging science of
complex adaptive systems pioneered by John Holland, Christopher Langton, and
others at the Santa Fe Institute. In all, Raymond's evolutionary view is
given an extended and more formal treatment under the terms of sociology as
well as chaos and complexity.
But aside from my arguments as such, I am hoping that my paper will
nonetheless prove to contribute to our understanding of OSS communities.
Most of all, my paper presents an ethnographic account of Linux developers,
amassed through series of e-mail interviews. While Linux as a social
phenomena has been a topic of wide interest and a subject of much discussion
by notable names, there seems to be a lack of papers that offer first-hand
views and opinions of the general members of the rich and diverse community.
At the same time, the paper is intended for an audience in social sciences,
and written by a Linux newbie. Errors may be plentiful from the standpoint
of a real Linux hacker. While I ask you to tolerate some of my arguments,
the paper (as the Linux project itself) benefits directly from your feedback
and comments, so please do not hesitate to write me.
Thank you
Ko Kuwabara
-----------------------------------------------------
Ko Kuwabara
848 Tappan St. #17
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
E-mail:kokopuff@umich.edu
Homepage: www.people.cornell.edu/pages/kk49/
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