Web 2.0 and the Open Source Movement: Liberating Text Books

Abstract

The open source movement is a prominent aspect of the Web 2.0 phenomenon, driven as it is by the ability to network and collaborate easily, seamlessly and at low cost. This article considers open source production and distribution in the Web 2.0 environment from the perspective of stakeholders - all those who are part of, or who are impacted upon by an open source initiative. These include users, producers, collaborators, distributors and competitors. A simple framework is introduced for the analysis of stakeholder impact using a force field analysis, and this is illustrated by reference to the case of the Global Text Project. The Global Text Project is a venture designed to expand the opportunities for education, especially in developing countries, by the creation, publication and distribution of free (or close to free) textbooks. The force field analysis of the stakeholders to the project permits an identification of the actors who will respectively support and resist the initiative, and what their impact on it will be. Managerial implications are identified, and avenues for future research in this area are outlined.

Keywords: global text project, open source, Web 2.0.