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Working in Public: The Making and Maintenance of Open Source Software Hardcover – August 4, 2020
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Open source software, in which developers publish code that anyone can use, has long served as a bellwether for other online behavior. In the late 1990s, it provided an optimistic model for public collaboration, but in the last 20 years it’s shifted to solo operators who write and publish code that's consumed by millions.
In Working in Public, Nadia Eghbal takes an inside look at modern open source software development, its evolution over the last two decades, and its ramifications for an internet reorienting itself around individual creators. Eghbal, who interviewed hundreds of developers while working to improve their experience at GitHub, argues that modern open source offers us a model through which to understand the challenges faced by online creators. She examines the trajectory of open source projects, including:
- The GitHub platform for hosting and development
- The structures, roles, incentives, and relationships involved in open source projects
- The often-overlooked maintenance required of its creators
- The costs of production that endure through an application’s lifetime.
Open source communities are increasingly centered around the work of individual developers rather than teams. Similarly, if creators, rather than discrete communities, are going to become the epicenter of our online social systems, we need to better understand how they work—and we can do so by studying what happened to open source.
- Print length256 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherStripe Press
- Publication dateAugust 4, 2020
- Dimensions6.25 x 1 x 9.25 inches
- ISBN-100578675862
- ISBN-13978-0578675862
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From the Publisher
From the introduction
Until recently, information was good, and more information was better. If the free exchange of ideas formed the basis of a flourishing society, then we had a moral imperative to connect more people to one another.
The spirit of openness lasted more than 200 years. We championed the value of literacy and education. We built roads, bridges, and highways that brought together previously isolated communities. We careened toward the new millennium, flushed with the global triumph of Western liberal democracy.
Then we hit a snag. Suddenly, there was too much information. Too many notifications made us want to check them less. Too many social interactions made us want to post online less frequently. Too many emails made us not want to answer. Our online public lives became too much to handle, causing many of us to shrink back into our private spheres.
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A must-read in open source software communities"Working in Public is the fantastic follow-up to Roads and Bridges, and shows how Nadia's scope has widened and thoughts have evolved since the first book. A must-read for anyone interested in open source software communities." —Mike McQuaid, engineer at GitHub and Homebrew maintainer |
The definitive book on the dynamics of online creative communities"Nadia writes from a unique perspective at the intersection of open source, economics, and poetry. This is the definitive book on the dynamics of online creative communities." —Nat Friedman, CEO of GitHub |
An anthropological dive into the stories of real developers"In the age of information abundance, we're all maintainers now. Working in Public is an anthropological dive into the stories of real developers, providing us a lens of open source with which to ask new questions. Nadia presents us with a book not focused on just money, licenses, or code but for all of us who make, as creators of all kinds." —Henry Zhu, open source maintainer, Babel |
About the author
Nadia Eghbal is a writer and researcher who explores how the internet enables individual creators. From 2015 to 2019, she focused on the production of open source software, working independently and at GitHub to improve the open source developer experience. She is the author of Roads and Bridges: The Unseen Labor Behind Our Digital Infrastructure, published by the Ford Foundation, where she argued that open source code is a form of public infrastructure that requires maintenance.
About the publisher
Stripe Press publishes books about economic and technological advancement. Stripe partners with hundreds of thousands of the world’s most innovative businesses—organizations that will shape the world of tomorrow. These businesses are the result of many different inputs. Perhaps the most important ingredient is "ideas." Stripe Press highlights ideas that we think can be broadly useful. Some books contain entirely new material, some are collections of existing work reimagined, and others are republications of previous works that have remained relevant over time or have renewed relevance today.
Other titles by Stripe Press:
- High Growth Handbook by Elad Gil
- The Dream Machine by M. Mitchell Waldrop
- Stubborn Attachments by Tyler Cowen
- The Revolt of the Public by Martin Gurri
- An Elegant Puzzle by Will Larson
- Get Together by Bailey Richardson, Kevin Huynh, and Kai Elmer Sotto
- The Making of Prince of Persia by Jordan Mechner
- The Art of Doing Science and Engineering by Richard W. Hamming
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Nadia is one of today's most nuanced thinkers about the depth and potential of online communities, and this book could not have come at a better time as the ways we relate to each other has become sharply more mediated by the internet. It dives deep into the heart of how some of the most complex and productive online communities open source projects have grown along with the internet they helped create, with lessons for many others far beyond software." --Devon Zuegel, director of product, communities at GitHub
"In the age of information abundance, we're all maintainers now. Working in Public is an anthropological dive into the stories of real developers, providing us a lens of open source with which to ask new questions. Nadia presents us with a book not focused on just money, licenses, or code but for all of us who make, as creators of all kinds." --Henry Zhu, open source maintainer, Babel
"Working in Public is the fantastic follow-up to Roads and Bridges, and shows how Nadia's scope has widened and thoughts have evolved since the first book. A must-read for anyone interested in open source software communities." --Mike McQuaid, engineer at GitHub and Homebrew maintainer
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Stripe Press (August 4, 2020)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 256 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0578675862
- ISBN-13 : 978-0578675862
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.25 x 1 x 9.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #345,449 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #69 in Computing Industry History
- #256 in Computers & Technology Industry
- #292 in Social Aspects of Technology
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Nadia Asparouhova is a writer and researcher who explores how the internet enables individual creators. From 2015 to 2019, she focused on the production of open source software, working independently and at GitHub to improve the open source developer experience. She is the author of Roads and Bridges: The Unseen Labor Behind Our Digital Infrastructure, published by the Ford Foundation, where she argued that open source code is a form of public infrastructure that requires maintenance.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book provides a deep and informative analysis on how open source projects develop. They appreciate the clear ideas and concepts, which are supported with examples and footnotes. Readers also say the book is good stuff for open source and cooperatives. They mention the fonts are clear, the colors are bright, and the book has a profoundly well-written and researched approach.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book's insight deep and informative. They say the ideas and concepts are exceptionally clear and supported with examples and footnotes. Readers appreciate the subtleties of the process and find the clever analogies helpful.
"...make open source “sustainable”, this book does a magnificent job of framing the pertinent issues and pointing towards the critical few variables..." Read more
"The book has it's moments and sometimes good insights, but the author writes too much about social media in general, than about open source projects..." Read more
"...It gives the reader an appreciation for the subtleties of the process, and articulates the impact of the approach upon both the contributor and..." Read more
"...The ideas and concepts are exceptionally clear and supported with examples and footnotes for more reading...." Read more
Customers say the book is good for open source and co-ops.
"The author has written an excellent account of open source software as it is developed on today...." Read more
"Very relevant for modern day open source which is really different to open source at the start of the software revolution...." Read more
"👍 good stuff for open source and coops..." Read more
"Great overview of open source..." Read more
Customers find the book clear and well-written. They also appreciate the bright colors.
"...Like.. the cover is pleasant to touch, the paper is decent, fonts are clear, colors are bright, binding is strong, etc...." Read more
"A profoundly well written and researched book on Open Source Software Development..." Read more
"Really clear and in depth coverage of open source as it exists today..." Read more
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Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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The book gives a nuanced overview of the many communities and economics of open source, from the idealistic communities of 30 years ago that we usually think about to the modern GitHub era.
"Working in Public" offers a unique lens into the economics and communities of online creatives, tracking open source's evolution from fringe idealism to becoming a ubiquitous utility - while creating trillions in economic value along the way (relatively little of which went to creators).
As work on a project gets less and less fun over time, the book offers creative solutions for incentive problems, ranging from creator monetization features from Twitch, to patronage, to a peer-sourced community, to not maintaining projects to get your attention back - all part of a buffet of emerging options for an economic model stuck in the past that looks like Esports a la 2011.
The book is also witty and funny (my favorite analogy for maintenance was a neighbor who comes and knocks on your doors with requests for how you should put up your Christmas lights), and has a high bar for craft throughout - everything is impeccably well designed, including the cover texture, page weight, and lie flat binding. The same level of craft and precision went into every detail about what was in and out of scope for the book, necessary given how demanding extractive contributors can be (and surely will be about this book!).
Creators first. This book lives that message, from its physical form to its message. Great book!
The cited references add weight by example and provide a wealth of insight. Highly recommended.
Top reviews from other countries
Veo opiniones negativas alegando que no profundiza en la historia del OSS, o que si te dedicas al OSS no vas a aprender nada de este libro. Totalmente erróneo.
Si de verdad te dedicas al mundo del OSS, en proyectos de los que dependes cientos o miles de usuarios, sabrás bien lo dificil que es ser maintainer, como lidiar con esos cientos y cientos de comentarios, notificaciones etc.
Este libro te hace no sentirte solo y a demás, te ayuda a gestionar esa frustración y a elaborar una estrategia para mantener tu comunidad alrededor de tu(s) proyectos.
As a relatively new developer keen to get involved in open-source, this book has provided an excellent grounding in ‘why’ people write open-source products, how they avoid becoming overwhelmed by user requests/issues, and a few potential mechanisms for earning a modest livelihood along the way.
I particularly liked the author’s comparisons to news outlets and social media influencers as alternative examples of ‘content creators’. I had never really considered open-source developers to be content creators, but in retrospect this makes a lot of sense. We’re seeing an increase in ‘influencer culture’ in the tech space - now I understand why.
Definitely worth reading this book! I thoroughly enjoyed it.