Written by Paul Wade, Director of Product Management for UK/EMEA at Rocket Software and Open Mainframe Project Governing Board Member
In Garrett Hardin’s, “The Tragedy of the Commons,” he outlines a scenario where individuals, acting in their own self-interest, overexploit a shared resource, leading to its degradation. This concept, originally applied to communal grazing land, finds a striking modern parallel in the realm of Open-Source Software (OSS). While OSS represents a communal resource that is free for all to use, its very openness makes it susceptible to overuse and under-maintenance, echoing Hardin’s concerns.
The Commons
OSS is developed collaboratively, often by volunteers, and is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute. Major projects like Linux, Apache, and Mozilla Firefox have demonstrated the profound impact of OSS on the tech landscape. However, the sustainability of these projects can be precarious. Without a single entity controlling and funding the development and maintenance, OSS relies heavily on the goodwill and voluntary contributions of a global community.
Overuse and Underinvestment a Technological Tragedy
In Hardin’s tragedy, the commons are overgrazed because each herder benefits individually while the costs are shared among all users. In OSS, companies and individuals extensively use these free resources without necessarily contributing back. They benefit from reduced costs and accelerated development cycles but often do not invest in the maintenance or improvement of the software they use. This phenomenon is particularly evident in the case of large corporations that build their products on top of OSS. While these companies may reap substantial profits, they sometimes contribute little to the upkeep of the underlying software. This creates a scenario where the burden of maintenance falls disproportionately on a small number of volunteers and dedicated contributors. Over time, this can lead to burnout and a decline in the quality and security of the software, much like the overgrazing of common land leads to its deterioration.
The Role of Incentives and Governance
A critical aspect of Hardin’s tragedy is the absence of incentives for individuals to act in the collective interest. For OSS, the challenge is creating structures and incentives that encourage sustained contributions. Some OSS projects have mitigated this issue by establishing foundations or corporate sponsorships that provide funding and organizational support. For instance, the Linux Foundation and the Apache Software Foundation play crucial roles in coordinating development efforts and ensuring long-term viability. However, even with these structures, the fundamental issue remains without widespread, equitable contributions, the system is still vulnerable. This can be addressed by encouraging more companies that benefit from OSS to adopt a stewardship role, contributing resources, funding, or code. Implementing more robust governance models that clearly define contribution guidelines and recognize contributors’ efforts can also help.
A Call for Collective Responsibility
To avoid the tragedy of the commons in the context of OSS, a cultural shift towards collective responsibility is necessary. Users of OSS, particularly those who profit from it, should recognize the importance of contributing back to the community. This can take many forms, from financial donations to active participation in development and bug fixing. Education also plays a vital role. By raising awareness about the importance of OSS and the need for sustainable practices, the tech community can foster a culture of collaboration and mutual support. This includes teaching developers and companies about the benefits of contributing to OSS, not just for the community but for their own long-term interests as well.
A Call to Contribute
In ‘The Value of Open-Source Software” Manuel Hoffmann, Frank Nagle and Yanuo Zhou estimate the global value of OSS at $8.8 Trillion largely comprising the top six programming languages; C (including C# and C++), Java, Javascript, Python, Typescript and Go.
OSS embodies the spirit of communal collaboration but is not immune to the pitfalls outlined in Hardin’s “The Tragedy of the Commons.” By recognizing the parallels and proactively addressing the challenges, the tech community can ensure that OSS remains a vibrant and sustainable resource. Through collective action, equitable contributions, and robust governance, we can avoid the degradation of this invaluable commons and continue to benefit from the innovation and collaboration it fosters.
If you are reading this and your company is using OSS, ask questions, find out what their contribution is and try to influence good citizenship with increased contributions if the company can afford to do so. Together we all prosper and achieve so much more.
