03_problem.md 2.4 KB
#1.3 Problem
Most free software projects are developed by volunteers on their free time and don’t receive corporate backing. There is neither budget for dedicated usability tests nor particular usability expertise. Developers and designers decide from their point of view (Nichols & Twidale, 2003; Thomas, 2008). Free software development is famously described as a bazaar by Raymond (1997), a hierarchically flat organization. Especially independent projects are a meritocracy or do-ocracy where people are mainly valued according to their contributions to the project. Open source development is a meritocracy: those who are judged as doing good (read: high quality) work wield power or influence over the community; the maintainers of the code give permission to check in software. Frishberg et al. (2002) A problem with the organic and distributed bazaar workflow are the different communication channels, be it mailing lists, IRC (internet relay chat), bug reports, wiki pages and other platforms. Discussion is fragmented between the mailing list and bug reports. These channels need a clearer charter and decision-making system. Benson, Müller-Prove & Mzourek (2004) There are many international contributors working on the software. This is not only code of the application itself but also translation, design, website, outreach and more. Already described by Benson, Müller-Prove & Mzourek (2004), we need a clearly defined decision-making process to coordinate all the different efforts going in to designing and developing the product that is the software. The integration of software cannot be achieved by committee, where everyone has to put in their own additions (featuritis again). It must be controlled by dictatorial artists with full say on the final cut. Nelson (1990, p. 243) And additions not only come from developers but also indirectly from users: Reading dozens of GNOME and Red Hat bugs per day, I find that users ask for a preference by default. Pennington (2002) At the same time, multiple interface designers need to agree on their designs. Decisions need to be documented and based on founded claims. It needs to be made clear that interface design is more of a science where research is important than an art that is subjective: If various people work on the same interface, they will need to justify what they do, convince others why their ideas are so great and so on. Balazs (2011)