Free and Open Source Software in developing contexts. From open in principle to open in the consequences
| Published date | 02 March 2010 |
| Pages | 42-56 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14779961011024800 |
| Date | 02 March 2010 |
| Author | Gianluca Miscione,Kevin Johnston |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
Free and Open Source Software
in developing contexts
From open in principle to open
in the consequences
Gianluca Miscione
Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Geo-Information
Management, International Institute for Geo-Information Science and
Earth Observation, Enschede, The Netherlands, and
Kevin Johnston
Department of Information Systems, University of Cape Town,
Rondebosch, South Africa
Abstract
Purpose – Originating in the USA and Northern Europe, Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)
found on the internet its fertile environment. In more recent years, FOSS is becoming an increasingly
important element in strategies for development and implementation of information and
communication technologies also in developing countries. Mainstream research on FOSS has
catered to the underlying principles or freedom, open organizational forms, and on its economical
aspects. The purpose of this paper is to shed new light on the actual consequences of FOSS, often left in
the background.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines where FOSS principles’ assumptions are
likely to be more evident: in contexts of developing countries, which are geographically and
organizationally far from the original environment of FOSS. A mixed methodology characterizes this
work: quantitative and qualitative methods bring readers’ attention to unusual empirical settings and
downplayed organizational processes of information technology (IT) implementation and adoption.
Findings – The consequences of FOSS on IT implementation and actual use are ambivalent. It is
argued that FOSS adoption does not happen spontaneously, neither by decree, and that the relevance
of open technologies as public goods remains in the different role of local actual technical and
organizational capabilities, and environment conditions.
Originality/value – Such a focus complements existing studies on the economical relevance of
FOSS, which are not the focus of this paper.
Keywords Internet, Publicdomain software, Communicationtechnologies, Africa, India
Paper type Research paper
I think that if the developing country is serious about not just seeing ICT as a cost center, but
as a requirement for national development, the real advantage of open source ends up being
able to build up your own knowledge base. And that is not cheap in itself – you’ll likely pay
as much for that as you’d pay for a proprietary software solution. The difference being that
with the proprietary solution, you’ll never catch up, and you’ll have to pay forever, without
ever learning anything yourself (Linus Torvalds in Weerawarana and Weeratunge (2004)).
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/1477-996X.htm
An earlier version of this paper was presented at the International Conference on Human Choice
and Computers (IFIP TC9), September 25-27, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
JICES
8,1
42
Received 2 February 2009
Revised 30 July 2009
Accepted 23 November 2009
Journal of Information,
Communication & Ethics in Society
Vol. 8 No. 1, 2010
pp. 42-56
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
1477-996X
DOI 10.1108/14779961011024800
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