Desarrollo Floss y gobernanza de pares: el caso del entorno de escritorio Gnome

ZANOTTI, AGUSTÍN; VÉLEZ, JUAN GABRIEL

International Journal of Innovation

Int. J. Innov

Lugar: San Pablo; Año: 2020 vol. 8 p. 438 - 465

Objective of the study: The article analyzes the case of GNOME, one of the most popular Free/ Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) projects, started in 1997. The concept of peer governance describes the interaction and convergence of companies, foundations, voluntary users and professionals in its development.Methodology/ approach: The research is based on the documentary method and an organizational history approach. For this, primary and secondary digital sources were collected: institutional and FLOSS sites, blogs, community lists, documents and platforms.Originality/ Relevance: The work allows progress, from a sociotechnical perspective, in understanding FLOSS developments and the coevolution of their technical components and community dynamics.Main results: Three levels of governance are identified: 1. the software itself; 2. the community; 3. the ecosystem. Development cycles; community participation and organization; actors and business models, definitions and controversies, are analyzed. GNOME´s trajectory is marked by the confluence of interests and coopetition between corporate actors and the FLOSS ecosystem. The life cycle shows a constant activity, which implies redefinition of its components, technological infrastructure and leadership. It is not exempt from controversies and bifurcations, similar to those evidenced in projects of this type.Theoretical/ methodological contributions: It contributes to the concept of peer governance and its usefulness for case analysis. Reflection on data sources and research resources on the Internet is promoted.Social/ managerial contributions: It contributes to the understanding of new forms of management and decision-making in technological development projects.