Open Source SAS® Software Applications: the OS3A Program for Community Programming
Paul OldenKamp, Paul D. Hamilton, Dante DiTommaso, F. Hoffmann-La Roche · 2009
The Web ‘changes everything’!! We are entering a new paradigm of worldwide collaboration in scientific, educational and economic activity based on a large decrease in communication costs created by the Internet. This will change how we write programs in the future. The paradigm shift has made possible new methods of Open Source software development and distribution. Can SAS ® software users take advantage of the opportunities? How could this Open Source model ever work? At first glance, the Open Source model should fail as an example of the free rider problem of classic economics. The adverse incentives can be explained with a “programmers’ dilemma” analysis in game theory. The Open Source licenses have conditions that overcome the free rider problem based on the principles of the Open Source Initiative. As a practical matter, the facilities provided by several sites supporting Open Source projects and the practices developed by the many Open Source projects over the past 15 years are key in generating cooperative peer production by software application developers.