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This is an interview between an open-source focused news site and a self-described open-source zealot. Although it covers a number of topics with only peripheral importance to my thesis, it highlights a lot of very specific and contemporary issues facing the open source movement.
Van der Linden spends quite a bit of time railing on the inferiority of prevailing proprietary software standards, but also notes that Linux has a long way to come, especially in the areas of software availability and integration. When asked about the biggest barrier, he states that it’s the fact that Linux is not already number one. While this is not a specific failing of the open source model, the fact that (at least on the desktop) open source came along fairly late in the game, and with substantially less marketing clout suggests that there are perhaps markets where Linux is not destined to succeed.
Van der Linden spends quite a bit of time railing on the inferiority of prevailing proprietary software standards, but also notes that Linux has a long way to come, especially in the areas of software availability and integration. When asked about the biggest barrier, he states that it’s the fact that Linux is not already number one. While this is not a specific failing of the open source model, the fact that (at least on the desktop) open source came along fairly late in the game, and with substantially less marketing clout suggests that there are perhaps markets where Linux is not destined to succeed.
belongs to Renegades in the Land of Copyright. project
tagged computers free_software linux open_source usability software oss
by haw
...on 28-NOV-06
Nichols,DM . "The Usability of Open Source Software" First Monday [1396-0466] 8.1 (2003). 59-.
This paper establishes what could potentially be one of the greatest shortcomings of the open source model – the inability to create software usable by the general populous. The paper begins by establishing that proprietary software dominates the average user’s experience. It points out that usability is a problem for all software, not just open source projects, but also that users of open source software tend to be more technically-inclined (Lerner and Tirole, 2002).
There is an established idea in the usability community that software developers do not make good usability designers. This proves problematic for the open source movement, since one of the central tenets is that the software is conceived and developed by individual software developers. There is neither outside perspective available to mandate the hiring of usability professionals, nor capital available to do so. Usability professionals, the paper states, are not prevalent in open source projects the way that developers are because there are fewer of them to begin with, and therefore fewer peers to recognize any individual contributions to usability – peer recognition being one of the most agreed upon incentives for open source development.
The paper outlines some of the other problems related to usability in open source, notably that usability design works best when done before any software development, anathema to the open source model of progressive improvement on rough development. Furthermore, many open source projects try to emulate commercial software, leaving little room for usability innovation. Finally, in a collaborative community with little central authority, it is logistically delicate to remove excessive functionality that may confound usability.
There is an established idea in the usability community that software developers do not make good usability designers. This proves problematic for the open source movement, since one of the central tenets is that the software is conceived and developed by individual software developers. There is neither outside perspective available to mandate the hiring of usability professionals, nor capital available to do so. Usability professionals, the paper states, are not prevalent in open source projects the way that developers are because there are fewer of them to begin with, and therefore fewer peers to recognize any individual contributions to usability – peer recognition being one of the most agreed upon incentives for open source development.
The paper outlines some of the other problems related to usability in open source, notably that usability design works best when done before any software development, anathema to the open source model of progressive improvement on rough development. Furthermore, many open source projects try to emulate commercial software, leaving little room for usability innovation. Finally, in a collaborative community with little central authority, it is logistically delicate to remove excessive functionality that may confound usability.
belongs to Renegades in the Land of Copyright. project
tagged computers free_software human_interface_design linux open_source oss software usability
by haw
...on 28-NOV-06
note laurie's sweet rejoinder. i like using the term 'bulletproof' to refer to great design, that which cannot be misinterpreted, confusing to users or in need of additional clarification for effective use. people should be able to use a resource at a basic level without instruction. they should be able to become advanced users on their own terms, serendipitously or deliberately.