Topic: Comparing Open Source in the Nordics

[sjn]

Hei!

Not sure where to get interview candidates for this, but I'd love to hear a discussion on how (or if) Open Source communities/projects are done differently in Nordics.

• First, are there any differences at all? Why/why not?
• Assuming there are any; Are there any cultural aspects behind these?
• Are some "better" than others, and if that is the case, then how and why?
• Can we learn something useful from these differences?
• Are there differences in supporting FOSS, either from industry or the public sector, and if yes, what consequences has this given?

[bagder]

Has there been any good research done in how (or if) open source differs to any significant amount depending on where it is being done?

Then of course we have the problem of what constitutes "Nordic" open source. For example, I do most of my open source work in the @curl project, but I never claim or think that it is a "Nordic project" just because I happen to live in a Nordic country. I think of it as a global project - on the Internet rather than in any geographical region.

[sjn]

Has there been any good research done in how (or if) open source differs to any significant amount depending on where it is being done?

I really don't know. I guess there are some research out there (a quick search points towards researchgate.net, which seems to be a relevant place to search further).

Then of course we have the problem of what constitutes "Nordic" open source.

Hm. I'm not sure. The reason I'm asking is I've noticed some differences in how projects & businesses are run, and I'm wondering if it's possible to notice similar patterns in volunteer-based / open source communities.

One option may be to look for and invite individuals who have been exposed to a wide range of communities and projects that may have their core members in different countries or cultures. For example; Are there any Open Source communities that have been started in middle-eastern or African or Asian countries, and are they run different in any significant way? One indicator that hints there may be something interesting here is when one plots open source events on a map. My impression is that "culturally western" countries tend to have a lot more open source events than others. Is this only a consequence of how prevalent internet access is, or are other factors more important?

Sorry I can't help you with details here, but I hope this at least offers some ideas. :-)