Title: The Lives and Deaths of Open Source Code Forges

Author: Megan Squire:Elon University

Abstract: Code forges are third party software repositories that also provide various tools and facilities for distributed software development teams to use, including source code control systems, mailing lists and communication forums, bug tracking systems, web hosting space, and so on. The main contributions of this paper are to present some new data sets relating to the technology adoption lifecycles of a group of six free, libre, and open source software (FLOSS) code forges, and to compare the lifecycles of the forges to each other and to the model presented by classical Diffusion of Innovation (DoI) theory. We find that the observed adoption patterns of code forges rarely follow the DoI model, especially as larger code forges are beset by spam and abuse. The only forge exhibiting a DoI-like lifecycle was a smaller, community-managed, special-purpose forge whose demise was planned in advance. The results of this study will be useful in explaining adoption trajectories, both to practitioners building collaborative FLOSS ecosystems and to researchers who study the evolution and adoption of socio-technical systems.

Download: This contribution is part of the OpenSym 2017 proceedings and is available as a PDF file.

Title: A Glimpse into Babel: An Analysis of Multilingualism in Wikidata

Authors: Lucie-Aimee Kaffee:University of Southampton; Alessandro Piscopo:University of Southampton; Pavlos Vougiouklis:University of Southampton; Elena Simperl:University of Southampton; Leslie Carr:University of Southampton; Lydia Pintscher:Wikimedia Deutschlan

Abstract: Multilinguality is an important topic for knowledge bases, especially Wikidata, that was build to serve the multilingual requirements of an international community. Its labels are the way for humans to interact with the data. In this paper, we explore the state of languages in Wikidata as of now, especially in regard to its ontology, and the relationship to Wikipedia. Furthermore, we set the multilinguality of Wikidata in the context of the real world by comparing it to the distribution of native speakers. We find an existing language maldistribution, which is less urgent in the ontology, and promising results for future improvements.

Download: This contribution is part of the OpenSym 2017 proceedings and is available as a PDF file.

Title: Exploring the Application of Blockchain Technology to Combat the Effects of Social Loafing in Cross Functional Group Projects

Authors: Kevin O’Leary:University College Cork; Philip O’Reilly:University College Cork;
Joseph Feller:University College Cork; Rob Gleasure:University College Cork;
Shanping Li:Zhejiang University; Jerry Cristoforo:State Street Corporation

Abstract: Today, many multi-national organisations operate in a dispersed geographical environment. Teams consisting of members from around the globe can be assembled on an as-needed basis. However, this can prove to be a complex managerial task. Individuals, who believe that their efforts are not being effectively monitored by upper management, lose their motivation to fully contribute to the best of their abilities as they do not believe there is any correlation between the effort they exert and the reward they receive. With low levels of intrinsic involvement among employees, a lack of task visibility from upper management and limited social interaction among group members, many organisations struggle to combat the issue of social loafing in cross functional working groups. Blockchain technology, widely acknowledged as enabling openness, can facilitate the development of an immutable, transparent, secure and verifiable application for capturing individuals Intellectual Property as they work. This would motivate employees to more openly contribute to group work, safe in the knowledge that their contribution will be recognised, enabling management to maintain a high level of task visibility over their employees work without requiring their physical presence.

Download: This contribution is part of the OpenSym 2017 proceedings and is available as a PDF file.

Title: QueryShare: Working Together to Facilitate Exploratory Multimedia Searches without Skill in Creating

Authors: Masahiro Hamasaki:National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology; Masataka Goto:National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

Abstract: This paper describes a music exploratory search interface called QueryShare, which provides query searching and recommendation functions for query sharing among users. Most people are not expert users who know how to use various music metadata that include automatically estimated musical features to represent their own information needs as a query. Therefore, it is difficult for them to enter a complex query for music content retrieval. The original feature of our proposed interface is to make users share every query as a public web page. This feature enables users to use search queries, find recommended queries, and revise existing queries. Beginners can use an applicable query, which is more complicated than they might create on their own. Experts can readily reuse a query (web page) of their own making. The interface assists users in finding results for interesting queries and in performing music exploratory search without skills to create complex queries. We developed a prototype system as a web application for music videos on the most popular Japanese video sharing service. Users can search for over 360,000 music videos using our system. Results of a preliminary user study demonstrated that users found the query creation interesting and that they were interested in seeing and using queries created by other users, although some users hesitated to share their queries.          

Download: This contribution is part of the OpenSym 2017 proceedings and is available as a PDF file.

Title: Social Identity and Social Media Activities in Equity Crowdfunding

Authors: Sean Nevin:University College Cork; Rob Gleasure:University College Cork;
Philip O’Reilly:University College Cork; Joseph Feller:University College Cork;
Shanping Li:Zhejiang University; Jerry Cristoforo:State Street Corporation

Abstract: The existence of crowdfunding platforms has helped creators to bring their innovative products to market. In recent years, equity crowdfunding has increased in popularity as an alternative form of finance, and has helped thousands of innovating entrepreneurs to raise money, and join a broader conversation with large numbers of potential investors. Early-stage startup investment is no longer restricted to venture capital firms and high net worth angel investors. Using Social Identity Theory (SIT) as a basis, we look at a sample of crowdfunding campaigns from the UK-based platform, Crowdcube. In this study we are trying to understand how groups of potential crowdfunding investors act in relation to the social media activities of those campaigns. We examine how different social media activities of can have an impact upon the funding of a crowdfunding campaign. This study has significant implications for fundraisers who want to utilize social media to increase their chances of a successful crowdfunding campaign. In our study we identify that by being more active on social media, and having a higher level of engagement with the crowd, this will have a positive impact on the overall funding of a crowdfunding campaign.

Download: This contribution is part of the OpenSym 2017 proceedings and is available as a PDF file.

Title: SMW Based VRE for Addressing Multi-Layered Data Analysis:The Use Case of Classroom Interaction Interpretation

Authors: Cornelia Veja:German Institute for International Educational Research (DIPF);
Kendra Sticht:University of Munster; Christoph Schindler:German Institute for International Educational Research (DIPF); Helge Kminek:Goethe University Frankfurt

Abstract: Virtual research environments (VREs) based on Semantic MediaWiki (SMW) provide researchers with more effective means of collaborative knowledge creation. The main challenge is capturing the multi-layered and iterative research process by participatory and evolutionary design using an agile framework development. The paper focuses on the development of a VRE to enhance scholarly research practices with the specific goal to enable dialogic transcript data analysis in Social Sciences and Humanities, using digital and semantic technologies. To offer a user-friendly framework with a low technological barrier, the authors used existing SMW extensions and developed a novel extension for multi-layered dialogic analysis by adopting the researcher’s theoretical model of Objective Hermeneutic. As use case of addressing dialogic qualitative data analysis, the paper presents the VRE for classroom interaction which is based on two ontological models, the Objective Hermeneutic core ontology and the classroom interaction ontology, as a result of authors’ work.

Download: This contribution is part of the OpenSym 2017 proceedings and is available as a PDF file.

Title: On Licensing and Other Conditions for Contributing to Widely Used Open Source Projects: An Exploratory Analysis

Authors: Jonas Gamalielsson:University of Skovde; Bjorn Lundell:University of Skovde

Abstract: Open source software (OSS) projects are provided under different open source licenses and some projects use other conditions (in addition to licensing terms) for contributors to adhere to. Licensing terms and conditions may affect community involvement and contributions, and are perceived differently by different stakeholders in different OSS projects. The study reports from an exploratory analysis of licensing terms and other conditions for 200 widely used OSS projects, and an investigation of the relationship between licensing terms and other conditions for contributing. We find that strong copyleft licenses are most common and are used in the majority of the projects. Further, a clear majority of the OSS projects use no specific other condition for contributing in addition to the license terms. However, a clear majority of the OSS projects supported by foundations use other conditions for contributing in addition to the license terms. Finally, use of no specific other conditions in addition to the license terms is more common for projects using strong copyleft licensing compared to projects using non-copyleft licensing.

Download: This contribution is part of the OpenSym 2017 proceedings and is available as a PDF file.

Title: Implementing Federated Social Networking: Report from the Trenches

Authors: Gabriel Dos Santos Silva:University of Brasilia; Paulo Meirelles:LOSS Competence Center, University of San Paulo; Larissa Reis:Colivre; Antonio Terceiro:Colivre; Fabio Kon:FLOSS Competence Center, University of San Paulo

Abstract: The federation of social networks aims at integrating users by means of a decentralized structure, enabling the interoperability among multiple social networks in a transparent way. Despite a few isolated initiatives in federating open social networks, there is no adoption of any standard, which hinders the emergence of new, effective federated systems. To understand the difficulties in the development and standardization of federated services, we have conducted research on existing specifications and implementations of interoperability among social networks. We have developed a federation proof of concept within the Noosfero platform, implementing a subset of the Diaspora protocol to federate users and public content, in addition to complementary specifications, such as Salmon and WebFinger. In this work, we introduce our results to federate Noosfero with Diaspora networks, pointing the required steps before further development. We aim to implement the Diaspora protocol within Noosfero, finishing its specification and improving its documentation, encouraging more projects to adopt this protocol.

Download: This contribution is part of the OpenSym 2017 proceedings and is available as a PDF file.

Title: Everyday Creativity on a University Campus: Crafting a Challenge to Journey Beyond the Formal

Authors: Sally McHugh:NUI Galway; Fiona Concannon:NUI Galway; Tony Hall:NUI Galway

Abstract: This paper reports on an initiative to encourage staff, students and the wider community of an Irish university to engage in open, daily creative challenges, mediated by technology. The aim was to encourage creativity as a ritual practice, and to develop digital literacy, in an open forum. We explore how the ideas and methods of DS106[1], a course in Digital Storytelling from the University of Mary Washington (UMW) and other accessible open courses on the web, were appropriated for use within a university campus. The project, known as Campus Create, became both a virtual space and daily practice, encouraging creative thinking across the campus in a fun and playful way. In this paper, we describe the approach taken towards building an open, inclusive online community of learners, with a shared intention to make creativity a more frequent habit.

Download: This contribution is part of the OpenSym 2017 proceedings and is available as a PDF file.

Title: Opening up New Channels for Scholarly Review, Dissemination, and Assessment

Authors: Edit Gorogh:University of Gottingen; Michela Vignoli:Austrian Institute of Technology Vienna; Eleni Toli:University of Athens; Electra Sifacaki:University of Athens;
Peter Kraker:Know Center; Ilire Hasani-Mavriqi:Know Center; Stephan Gauch:German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW); Daniela Luzi:Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Rome; Mappet Walker:Frontiers; Clemens Blümel:German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW) & Humboldt University Berlin

Abstract: The growing dissatisfaction with the traditional scholarly communication process and publishing practices as well as increasing usage and acceptance of ICT and Web 2.0 technologies in research have resulted in the proliferation of alternative review, publishing and bibliometric methods. The EU-funded project OpenUP addresses key aspects and challenges of the currently transforming science landscape and aspires to come up with a cohesive framework for the review-disseminate-assess phases of the research life cycle that is fit to support and promote open science. The objective of this paper is to present first results and conclusions of the landscape scan and analysis of alternative peer review, altmetrics and innovative dissemination methods done during the first project year.

Download: This contribution is part of the OpenSym 2017 proceedings and is available as a PDF file.