The methodology of free software development is possibly one of the factors popularly considered as a differentiation compared to other software development paradigms, such as the proprietary model. But is this really the case?
From the point of view of software production, there are points in free software development that clearly overlap with other development models, such as proprietary, since the production methodologies have a certain independence from specific implementations.
However, the fact that software production may be more or less consistent with other models or that some of the requirements for code freedom are more or less necessary in practice, this does not mean that there cannot be significant differences in other aspects leading us to evaluate the whole as innovative.
Fuggetta's article Software libre y de código abierto: ¿un nuevo modelo para el desarrollo de software? explores these and other aspects of the differences between the development model of free software and the development model of proprietary software. The following sections will briefly outline some of its findings.
Recommended website
A. Fuggetta(2004). Software libre y de código abierto: ¿un nuevo modelo para el desarrollo de software? (http://alarcos.inf-cr.uclm.es/doc/ig1/doc/temas/4/IG1-t4slibreabierto.pdf)
Context
The success of free software can be attributed to a range of technological and economic aspects affecting its innovation and production.
Its decentralisation, cooperation and freedom of use and exploitation have made free software the standard-bearer of a new philosophy for addressing and solving a variety of problems.
According to Fuggetta, many beliefs on free software can also be applied to proprietary software, so it is a good idea to explore the topic thoroughly.
The development process
From a technological standpoint, the development of free software is not a new paradigm, since most projects have a limited number of collaborators. Moreover, incremental and evolutionary development methodologies are not unique to free software.
Nonetheless, free software has managed to motivate both developers and users to get involved in the project, sharing and associating the development and evolution of the software with the needs of the community.
Defence of customer rights
Problems related to customer protection arise mainly in reference to software packages, since the customer already owns the code in custom developments.
For software packages, it may be enough to be able to access the source code without subsequently modifying or redistributing it. The company's user support should also abide by rules that facilitate the handing over of the code in the event that the company cannot maintain it.
Dissemination of knowledge
The spread of knowledge through access to the source code is insufficient, since the subjects on software engineering reveal that documents describing the software architecture are also needed.
Moreover, in the event that this knowledge could be disseminated, it would only be necessary to publish its source code (without the right to copy and redistribute the software).
Cost
The fact that the software is released under a free license does not mean it cannot be commercialised or that its development does not have an associated cost (although we do not know the extent of this).
In addition, just because we cannot quantify or centralise its cost, this does not mean that it is not distributed among the collaborators, even indirectly by companies with little or nothing in common with the world of software.
Effectiveness of the business model
The main business models that actually exploit free software engage in the development and distribution of pure open source packages or free and proprietary software platforms. Other forms of business can be set up to a greater or lesser extent with both free and proprietary software.
Moreover, there is currently no evidence to suggest that a company based solely on services will be profitable over time.
On profitability
In The Business of Software, Michael Cusumano argues that software companies will increasingly depend on the combination of revenue from licences and services.
The software industry
Europe does not have an industrial strategy to unify the actions of the various companies involved. Hence, offering support to free software is not a strategy in comparison to the creation of innovative products.