Peer Participation and Software: What Mozilla Has to Teach Government

Peer Participation and Software: What Mozilla Has to Teach Government

This book examines the Mozilla Foundation’s success at organizing large-scale participation in the development of its software and considers whether Mozilla's approach can be transferred to government and civil society.

Publication date: 01 Apr 2010

ISBN-10: n/a

ISBN-13: 9780262514613

Paperback: 112 pages

Views: 5,372

Type: Book

Publisher: The MIT Press

License: Standard Copyright License

Post time: 16 Nov 2016 01:00:00

Peer Participation and Software: What Mozilla Has to Teach Government

Peer Participation and Software: What Mozilla Has to Teach Government This book examines the Mozilla Foundation’s success at organizing large-scale participation in the development of its software and considers whether Mozilla's approach can be transferred to government and civil society.
Tag(s): Software Libre and Open Source
Publication date: 01 Apr 2010
ISBN-10: n/a
ISBN-13: 9780262514613
Paperback: 112 pages
Views: 5,372
Document Type: Book
Publisher: The MIT Press
License: Standard Copyright License
Post time: 16 Nov 2016 01:00:00
From the Overview:
Firefox, a free Web browser developed by the Mozilla Foundation, is used by an estimated 270 million people worldwide. To maintain and improve the Firefox browser, Mozilla depends not only on its team of professional programmers and managers but also on a network of volunteer technologists and enthusiasts--free/libre and open source software (FLOSS) developers--who contribute their expertise. This kind of peer production is unique, not only for its vast scale but also for its combination of structured, hierarchical management with open, collaborative volunteer participation.

In this MacArthur Foundation Report, David Booth examines the Mozilla Foundation’s success at organizing large-scale participation in the development of its software and considers whether Mozilla’s approach can be transferred to government and civil society. Booth finds parallels between Mozilla’s collaboration with Firefox users and the Obama administration’s philosophy of participatory governance (which itself amplifies the much older Jeffersonian ideal of democratic participation). Mozilla’s success at engendering part-time, volunteer participation that produces real marketplace innovation suggests strategies for organizing civic participation in communities and government. Mozilla’s model could not only show us how to encourage the technical community to participate in civic life but also teach us something about how to create successful political democracy.

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About The Author(s)


David R. Booth is Creative Writing Professor in the MFA in Writing Program at the University of San Francisco. His work has appeared in Washington SquareThe Missouri ReviewOpium, and other periodicals.

David R. Booth

David R. Booth is Creative Writing Professor in the MFA in Writing Program at the University of San Francisco. His work has appeared in Washington SquareThe Missouri ReviewOpium, and other periodicals.


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