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Mediterranean Research on Free/Libre and Open Source Software
October 5th, 2006
In conjunction with MCIS 2006, The 7th Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems
Rationale
Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) is a growing phenomenon, changing the way in which information systems are developed, distributed and implemented. The changes in the intellectual property regime, as well as in the organizing practices and in the technology produced, stimulate new questions and new answers to old questions. In the last few years, a large number of researches focused on the motivations of FLOSS developers, on how do they organize themselves and on how is it possible to produce high quality software in loosely coupled contexts.
New emergent approaches, focusing, for example, on the practises and the materiality of FLOSS, are contributing to the growing level of academic discussions on FLOSS, as well as to its understanding, and to improving IS development and FLOSS diffusion.
The aim of this workshop is to discuss with researchers and practitioners, mainly coming from the Mediterranean region, if there are new topics to be considered or new approaches in the study of consolidated topics. The workshop flavour is that of the Social Studies of Information Systems, so we solicit contributions by researchers coming from social sciences and information systems fields, as well as from practitioners. The workshop is intended as a dialogue between different disciplines and perspectives.
The workshop will focus on new approaches related to the following, non exhaustive, list of topics:
- new approaches to the study of FLOSS and related phenomena
- developers and companies motivations: new approaches
- organizing communities: new approaches
- developing high quality FLOSS software: new approaches
- FLOSS as a socio Ð technical phenomenon
- intellectual property issues and FLOSS
- designing FLOSS software and communities
Workshop Description
The workshop format is a full day, with presentations and discussions. Perspective participants should send a brief (150 words maximum) description of their focus of interest in the workshop topics. Participants wishing to give a presentation during the workshop are required to send an extended abstract of the presentation subject (1000 words maximum). All submission must include contact information and affiliation, and must be sent to floss@mcis2006.org
Invited talk
The workshop will host an invited talk delivered by Yuwei Lin
(UK ESRC National Centre for e-Social Science, University of Manchester):
"At the Boundary of CSCW, OS and STS -
How to approach research questions emerging in the area of FLOSS?".
Additional details and
abstract.
Workshop Organizers:
Vincenzo D'Andrea,
Department of Information and Communication Technologies,
University of Trento, Italy,
dandrea&dit.unitn.it
Stefano De Paoli,
Department of Sociology and Social Research,
University of Trento, Italy,
stefano.depaoli&soc.unitn.it
Maurizio Teli,
Department of Sociology and Social Research,
University of Trento, Italy,
maurizio.teli&soc.unitn.it
Registration:
Workshops are included in MCIS registration. Participation in this workshop is subject to approval by Workshop organizers.
To register online for this workshop only (without MCIS conference), go to the
MCIS Workshops registration link. In this case, the registration fee is 80 euro.
Additional information:
See the Workshops description
and the Workshop program.
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