[Portugal] Analysis on free software communities (I): a quantitative study on GRASS, gvSIG and QGIS

[Giovanni Manghi]

http://nosolosoftware.com/analysis-on-free-software-communities-i/

http://www.sigte.udg.edu/jornadassiglibre2011/uploads/presentaciones/p37.pdf


Could we guess some patterns?

Lead users
 GRASS current leaders have grown internally in the project and
have broad expertise in it.
 gvSIG development seems to be led by contract. No signs of
external contributions and volunteer development are shown in
the core.
 QGIS development seems to be led by a large volunteer and
highly distributed base. It has aggregated around it 3 different
generations of people. Signs of a hacker-friendly culture.

Power users (not enough data)
 GRASS contributors seems to be slowly decreasing.
 gvSIG seems to have a stabilized contributors base.
 QGIS seems to have momentum as more and more people is
participating the community.

Casual users
 GRASS displays a slowly decreasing in general public.
 gvSIG has some advantage and leads the way.
 QGIS shows a slow and steady growing.