on the sustainability of open source projects: lessons learnt from cyberdam

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On the Sustainability of Open Source Projects: Lessons Learnt from Cyberdam

Pieter van der Hijden MSc (pvdh@sofos.nl)Stichting RechtenOnline (www.rechtenonline.nl)

Sofos Consultancy (www.sofos.nl)

ONLINE EDUCA BERLIN 2009

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Agenda

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Cyberdam

Learning experience

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Cyberdam

20+ online role playing games

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Cyberdam

Virtual cities as playground

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Cyberdam

Virtual cities as playground

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Cyberdam

VLE to develop & deliver the games Open source & open content

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Cyberdam

Learning experience20+ online role playing gamesVirtual cities as playgroundVLE to develop & deliver the gamesOpen source & open content

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Four stages

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Stage-1: Creation

Nice wishes Open source

Non-commercial High quality Low development

costs Better integration

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Stage-1: Creation

Hard reality Open source

Community not interested

No volunteers Excessive rates

for programmers No continuity

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Stage-1: Creation

Nice wishes Hard reality

Too much Too little

Idealism Realism

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Stage-2: Survival

Free lunches Instrumental Exploiting Cooperative

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Stage-2: Survival

No momentum Product oriented Passive

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Stage-2: Survival

Free lunches No momentum

Too much Too little

Product orientation

Market orientation

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Stage-3: Growing up

Scaling up Software Content Organization

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Stage-3: Growing up

Cooling down Commercial

partner Handicapped by

open source In for the money No passion-for-

learning

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Stage-3: Growing up

Scaling up Cooling down

Too much Too little

Dollar signs found

Passion for learning found

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Stage-4: Independence

Server Owner

Distribution of software & content

Maintenance Production server Helpdesk Value added

services User group

Roadmap

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Stage-4: Independence

Clients Free software Paid service

contract Production server Helpdesk Value added

services Funded

development projects

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Stage-4: Independence

Server Clients

Too much Too little

Modesty Assertive-ness

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Conclusion

Stage Too much Too little

1. Creation Idealism Realism

2. Survival Product orientation

Market orientation

3. Growing up

Dollar signs found

Passion for learning found

4. Indepen-dence

Modesty Assertive-ness

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Conclusion

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Acknowledgements

The Stichting RechtenOnline (Foundation Law Online) is the owner of Cyberdam.

The official name of the 2007-2009 project was Learning in a Virtual World project leader Diny Peters technical project manager Pieter van der Hijden

It was sponsored by the Dutch Government programme M&ICT (Social Sectors & ICT).

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References

Enabling Teachers in Higher Education to Develop their Own Simulations: The Virtual City of Cyberdam; Pieter van der Hijden MSc, Stichting RechtenOnline (Foundation Law Online) & Sofos Consultancy, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Presentation at Online Educa 2007.

Learning in a Virtual World; Reflections on the Cyberdam Research and Development Project; Harald Warmelink & Igor Mayer (eds.); Wolf Publishers, Nijmegen, 2009.

Cyberdam Support Site: http://www.cyberdam.nl Stichting RechtenOnline: http://www.rechtenonline.nl

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Colophon

Pieter van der Hijden MSc (pvdh@sofos.nl)

Stichting RechtenOnline (www.rechtenonline.nl)

Sofos Consultancy (www.sofos.nl)

CC-BY 2009 – Pieter van der Hijden

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