| Umbrello UML Modeller: A Diagramming Programme for the Unified Modelling Language Developed Using Bazaar Methods; BSc Honuors Dissertation, Final Report; University of Stirling, Department of Computing Science and Mathematics; April 2003 | ||
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Free Software is as old as computers which can run software, but the rise of proprietry software in the seventies and eighties left it as virtually the only option for desktop software until a few years ago. The recent reversal in trends has been almost entirely due to the massive increase in Internet access which has allowed for a new software development model, the bazaar method. This open, collaborative method allows anyone to participate with leadership largely based on merit. It is not chaos as peer pressure and a project leader or leaders ensure a focused project but, because this is Free Software, if anyone is unhappy with the result they are free to work on the problems themselves. The communication possibilities created by the Internet mean it can be worked upon by people with a genuine interest in the project regardless of their geographical location. The result is software with a reputation for stability and security but also increasingly for user-friendly and innovative features.
Openly developed software depends on users contributing back to the programme. Contributions can be large or small, technical or non-technical. They include bug reports, fixes, packages, translations, promotion, documentation, feature requests and whole new features. Helping a project such as Umbrello takes time of course, so why do so many people do it? The answer in almost all cases is that the developer is "scratching an itch", they have a need for a programme which performs a specific function and if one doesn't exist the easiest way to get what they want is to create it themselves. Umbrello was created because the author needed a UML Modelling programme for Unix and found that no suitable programmes existed. Because the author had no financial interest in the programme he made it publicly available at no cost and soon others with a similar need were contributing. Most developers work unpaid on these projects but many work on them as part of their professional work and a few are employed full time. There is also a significant contribution from university students such as myself. My experience from Umbrello is that most of our developers contribute partly as a tool for their professional work and partly for their own satisfaction. I have also received help from KDE developers who are employed on KDE full time.