Ecosystem-level determinants of sustained activity in open-source projects: a case study of the PyPI ecosystem
Ecosystem-level determinants of sustained activity in open-source projects: a case study of the PyPI ecosystem
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DOI：
10.1145/3236024.3236062
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发表时间：
2018-10
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Marat Valiev;Bogdan Vasilescu;J. Herbsleb
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文献类型：
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作者：
Marat Valiev;Bogdan Vasilescu;J. Herbsleb
开源项目并不存在于真空中。他们从重用其他项目中受益，他们自己也被其他项目重用，创造了复杂的相互依赖网络，即，软件生态系统。因此，包含生态系统的项目的可持续性可能不再仅仅由项目内部的因素决定，而是也由生态系统背景决定。在本文中，我们报告了影响开源Python项目可持续性的生态系统级因素的混合方法研究。通过使用PyPI生态系统中46，547个项目的历史数据，我们对项目开发进入休眠期（有限活动）的机会进行了建模，作为项目在其依赖网络中的位置，组织支持和其他因素的函数。在定性分析中，我们对所揭示的影响进行了三角测量，并通过与项目维护人员的访谈进一步扩展了我们的模型。结果表明，项目关系的数量和依赖网络中的相对位置对持续的项目活动有显着的影响，在项目生命周期的早期和后期有细微的影响。
Open-source projects do not exist in a vacuum. They benefit from reusing other projects and themselves are being reused by others, creating complex networks of interdependencies, i.e., software ecosystems. Therefore, the sustainability of projects comprising ecosystems may no longer by determined solely by factors internal to the project, but rather by the ecosystem context as well. In this paper we report on a mixed-methods study of ecosystem-level factors affecting the sustainability of open-source Python projects. Quantitatively, using historical data from 46,547 projects in the PyPI ecosystem, we modeled the chances of project development entering a period of dormancy (limited activity) as a function of the projects' position in their dependency networks, organizational support, and other factors. Qualitatively, we triangulated the revealed effects and further expanded on our models through interviews with project maintainers. Results show that the number of project ties and the relative position in the dependency network have significant impact on sustained project activity, with nuanced effects early in a project's life cycle and later on.