Innovation diffusion in open source software: preliminary analysis of dependency changes in the gentoo portage package database

Abstract

In this paper we make the case that software dependencies are a form of innovation adoption. We then test this on the time-evolution of the Gentoo package dependency graph. We find that the Bass model of innovation diffusion fits the growth of the number of packages depending on a given library. Interestingly, we also find that low-level packages have a primarily imitation driven adoption and multimedia libraries have primarily innovation driven growth.

A Bibliometric Analysis of the Use of Open Source Software in Educational Contexts

“…Along the same line, innovation is related to the integration of open source software by organizations, through the adoption and use of a variety of platforms (online service platforms, open source hardware platforms, free and reduced-cost 3D design tools and collective collaboration tools) whose integration is motivated by factors associated with high reliability, low cost and the possibility of receiving external assistance. This drives ecosystems of innovation by bringing together a range of actors and platforms in order to establish effective collaborative relationships (Bloemen, Amrit, Kuhlmann, & Ordóñez-Matamoros, 2014;Kwak, Kim, & Park, 2018;Ven & Verelst, 2006).…”

A generalized model for visualizing library popularity, adoption, and diffusion within a software ecosystem

“…Follow-up work applies the theory of diffusion to identify and predict version usage trends [26]. Similar to our diffusion work, Bloemen et al [27] explored the diffusion of Gentoo packages. Using the economic bass model, they modeled the diffusion of gentoo packages over time.…”