%0 Journal Article %J Research Policy %D 2003 %T How open source software works: "free" user-to-user assistance %A Karim R Lakhani %A von Hippel, Eric %K apache %K help %K logs %K MOTIVATION %K participants %K Survey %K usenet %X Research into free and open source software development projects has so far largely focused on how the major tasks of software development are organized and motivated. But a complete project requires the execution of "mundane but necessary" tasks as well. In this paper, we explore how the mundane but necessary task of field support is organized in the case of Apache web server software, and why some project participants are motivated to provide this service gratis to others. We find that the Apache field support system functions effectively. We also find that, when we partition the help system into its component tasks, 98% of the effort expended by information providers in fact returns direct learning benefits to those providers. This finding considerably reduces the puzzle of why information providers are willing to perform this task "for free." Implications are discussed. %B Research Policy %V 32 %P 923-943 %G eng %U http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.110.8172&rep=rep1&type=pdf %M WOS:000183049000004 %1 policy %2 case study %R http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0048-7333(02)00095-1 %> https://flosshub.org/sites/flosshub.org/files/lakhani2003.pdf %0 Journal Article %J Research Policy %D 2003 %T Satisfying heterogeneous user needs via innovation toolkits: the case of Apache security software %A Nik Franke %A von Hippel, Eric %X Manufacturers customarily provide only a few product variants to address the average needs of users in the major segments of markets they serve. When user needs are highly heterogeneous, this approach leaves many seriously dissatisfied. One solution is to enable users to modify products on their own using "innovation toolkits." We explore the effectiveness of this solution in an empirical study of Apache security software. We find high heterogeneity of need in that field, and also find that users modifying their own software to be significantly more satisfied than non-innovating users. We propose that the "user toolkits" solution will be useful in many markets characterized by heterogeneous demand. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. %B Research Policy %V 32 %P 1199-1215 %G eng %M WOS:000184522300005 %1 Policy %2 case study %> https://flosshub.org/sites/flosshub.org/files/rp-vonhippelfranke_0.pdf