Developer social networks / open source project networks : how programmers use GitHub
Fatima, Urooj (2025)
Diplomityö
2025
School of Engineering Science, Tietotekniikka
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2025062472992
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2025062472992
Tiivistelmä
Open-source software (OSS) development has become increasingly collaborative and distributed. Platforms such as GitHub play a pivotal role in shaping both technical contributions and social interactions. This research examines GitHub as a developer social network (DSN), investigating how contributors interact with projects, assume roles, and utilize platform features. Emphasis is placed on understanding the factors that motivate participation and influence the long-term sustainability of open-source software (OSS) communities.
A mixed-methods approach was adopted, incorporating a review of relevant literature, survey responses from active contributors, and an analysis of interaction patterns. The findings indicate that contributors operate in fluid roles, influenced by a combination of intrinsic motivations and social recognition mechanisms. GitHub’s features, such as pull requests, issues, and discussion threads, facilitate collaboration and foster a sense of community, although challenges like maintainer fatigue and uneven participation remain prevalent.
Sustainability is found to be multidimensional, encompassing technical resilience, community health, and contributor well-being. By aligning empirical observations with established theoretical frameworks, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the sociotechnical structures that underpin the development of open-source software (OSS). The results offer practical implications for platform designers, project maintainers, and researchers interested in supporting sustainable open-source ecosystems.
A mixed-methods approach was adopted, incorporating a review of relevant literature, survey responses from active contributors, and an analysis of interaction patterns. The findings indicate that contributors operate in fluid roles, influenced by a combination of intrinsic motivations and social recognition mechanisms. GitHub’s features, such as pull requests, issues, and discussion threads, facilitate collaboration and foster a sense of community, although challenges like maintainer fatigue and uneven participation remain prevalent.
Sustainability is found to be multidimensional, encompassing technical resilience, community health, and contributor well-being. By aligning empirical observations with established theoretical frameworks, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the sociotechnical structures that underpin the development of open-source software (OSS). The results offer practical implications for platform designers, project maintainers, and researchers interested in supporting sustainable open-source ecosystems.