Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1980.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1980.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1986.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1971.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1971.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1980.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1980.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1984.

abstract: Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) is the product of volunteers collaborating to build software in an open, public manner. The large number of FLOSS projects, combined with the data that is inherently archived with this online process, make studying this phenomenon attractive. Some FLOSS projects are very functional, well-known, and successful, such as Linux, the Apache Web Server, and Firefox. However, for every successful FLOSS project there are 100's of projects that are unsuccessful. These projects fail to attract sufficient interest from developers and users and become inactive or abandoned before useful functionality is achieved. The goal of this research is to better understand the open source development process and gain insight into why some FLOSS projects succeed while others fail. This dissertation presents an agent-based model of the FLOSS development process. The model is built around the concept that projects must manage to attract contributions from a limited pool of participants in order to progress. In the model developer and user agents select from a landscape of competing FLOSS projects based on perceived utility. Via the selections that are made and subsequent contributions, some projects are propelled to success while others remain stagnant and inactive. Findings from a diverse set of empirical studies of FLOSS projects are used to formulate the model, which is then calibrated on empirical data from multiple sources of public FLOSS data. The model is able to reproduce key characteristics observed in the FLOSS domain and is capable of making accurate predictions. The model is used to gain a better understanding of the FLOSS development process, including what it means for FLOSS projects to be successful and what conditions increase the probability of project success. It is shown that FLOSS is a producer-driven process, and project factors that are important for developers selecting projects are identified. In addition, it is shown that projects are sensitive to when core developers make contributions, and the exhibited bandwagon effects mean that some projects will be successful regardless of competing projects. Recommendations for improving software engineering in general based on the positive characteristics of FLOSS are also presented. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Computer Science 2011

Este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar o conceito de autoria no contexto da obra de George Eliot. Para realizá-lo, definiram-se dois aspectos relevantes da atividade do autor. O primeiro deles é sua existência empírica, situada dentro de determinadas práticas, como apontado por Martha Woodmansee, Michel Foucault, Marisa Lajolo e Regina Zilberman. O segundo, seu funcionamento intratextual, como instância discursiva, destilado das teorias enunciativas de Emile Benveniste e das proposições teóricas de Wayne Booth, Umberto Eco e Wolfgang Iser. A partir dessas elaborações, foram desenvolvidas as análises, de um lado, da trajetória de Mary Ann Evans (George Eliot) e seu papel como escritora do final do século XIX, e, de outro, do romance The Mill on the Floss, obra de 1860, na qual se percebe o autor George Eliot em funcionamento. Pode-se notar, através da reconstrução da vida da autora, sua reflexão própria sobre o significado da prática da autoria como missão social. É também notável, através de seu romance, a atuação de uma figura autoral que organiza o texto e encaminha a interpretação de seu leitor para determinadas direções. / This work’s objective is to analyze the concept of authorship in the context of George Eliot’s production. In order to do so, two relevant aspects of the author’s activity were defined. The first one is its empirical existence, located within certain practices, as pointed by Martha Woodmansee, Michel Foucault, Marisa Lajolo and Regina Zilberman. The second one, its intratextual operation, as a discoursive instance, distilled from Emile Benveniste’s enunciative theories and from the theoretical propositions of Wayne Booth, Umberto Eco and Wolfgang Iser. These elaborations allowed the development of two analyses: on one hand, of Mary Ann Evans’ (George Eliot’s) trajectory and her role as a late nineteenth century writer, and, on the other, of the novel The Mill on the Floss (1860), in which George Eliot’s authorship is perceived at work. It is noticeable, through the reconstruction of the author’s life, her own reflection on the meaning of authorial practice as a social mission. It is also remarkable, through her novel, the performance o an author figure which organizes the text and directs its reader’s interpretations to determined directions.