Open Source Development: An Arthurian Legend

OSSD (Open Source Software Development) achieves remarkable success in delivering complex software systems – systems which are incredibly reliable and robust – in a short amount of time and without even paying anyone! Naturally, in the face of this success, organizations are interested in seeing if the mechanisms behind OSSD success can be migrated into their own practices, hopefully improving their systems and their productivity.
In this paper, we look (lighthearted at first) at the motivations behind those involved in OSSD and describe the problems that need to be overcome if OSSD-type practices can be migrated into traditional organizations.