Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Identifying Success And Abandonment Of Free/Libre And Open Source (Floss) Commons: A Preliminary Classification Of Sourceforge.Net Projects, Charles M. Schweik, Robert English

Schweik Open Source Project

Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) projects are a form of commons where individuals work collectively to produce software that is a public, rather than a private, good. The famous phrase “Tragedy of the Commons” describes a situation where a natural resource commons, such as a pasture, or a water supply, gets depleted because of overuse. The tragedy in FLOSS commons is distinctly different -- it occurs when collective action is abandoned before a software product is produced or reaches its full potential. This paper builds on previous work about defining success in FLOSS projects by taking a collective action …

How To Keep Your Author Rights (And Influence People), Marilyn S. Billings

University Libraries Publication Series

No abstract provided.

Digital Repositories: A Umass Amherst Perspective, Fall 2007, Marilyn S. Billings

University Libraries Publication Series

No abstract provided.

Brooks' Versus Linus' Law: An Empirical Test Of Open Source Projects, Charles M. Schweik, Robert English

National Center for Digital Government

Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FOSS) projects are Internet-based collaborations consisting of volunteers and paid professionals who come together to create computer software...

Reflections Of An Online Geographic Information Systems Course Based On Open Source Software, Charles M. Schweik, Maria Fernandez, Michael P. Hamel, Prakash Kashwan, Quentin Lewis, Alexander Stepanov

National Center for Digital Government

This SSCORE report summarizes our experience offering an online introductory course on Geographic Information Systems that utilizes available free/libre and open source software (FOSS). Two primary objectives were to (1) reach students in developing countries, and (2) to help move forward the development of an “open content” GIS curriculum as part of the “Open Source Geospatial Foundation” (OSGeo.org) educational effort. Course design, key software (QGIS, GRASS, PostGresql/PostGIS) and online delivery methods are described. Results and factors leading to a low course completion rate and discussed. Contributing factors include: (1) a for-credit versus no-credit decision; and (2) technical issues. Recommendations for …

Better Public Services For Growth And Jobs, Jane E. Fountain

National Center for Digital Government

No abstract provided.

America Competes Act, United States

Ethics in Science and Engineering National Clearinghouse

The full text of the America COMPETES Act. See Sec. 7008. Postdoctoral Research Fellows, and Sec. 7009. Responsible Conduct of Research.

Increasing Social Capital For Disaster Response Through Social Networking Services (Sns) In Japanese Local Governments, Alexander Schellong

National Center for Digital Government

Researchers have argued that social networks within a community have positive effects on people’s behavior in the four stages of disaster. The Japanese government is testing Social Networking Service (SNS) at the municipal level with the intention to improve community building, democratic processes and disaster management. This paper presents results from two case studies of local SNS in Yatsushiro city, Kumamoto prefecture and Nagaoka city, Niigata prefecture. While the Yatsushiro’s solution seems to be sustainable, Nagaoka’s SNS is in decline. Both have to compete with popular SNS like Mixi and lack critical mass. Based on the reviewed literature I discuss …

Chronology Of The Drafting, Review, And Revision Of The Proposed Icomos Charter For The Interpretation And Presentation Of Cultural Heritage Sites, Neil A. Silberman

Selected Publications of EFS Faculty, Students, and Alumni

No abstract provided.

Umass Amherst Friends Of The Library Newsletter - Spring/Summer 2007 (No. 33), Jay Schafer

Library News for the Friends of the UMass Amherst Libraries

Message from Jay:

Telling our story – the story of UMass Amherst Libraries – is essential to building a community of support among students, parents, alumni, and corporate sponsors. The story is a simple one. UMass Amherst Libraries exist to support students andfaculty; teaching and research. Funding from the Commonwealth provides baseline support for the library. Excellence is possible only with contributions from those of you who share our vision of providing outstanding library and informationresources, facilities, and services to outstanding students and faculty. How do we tell the story of UMass Amherst Libraries? Sometimes friends like Governor Deval Patrick, …

Open-Source Collaboration In The Public Sector: The Need For Leadership And Value, Michael P. Hamel

National Center for Digital Government

From executive summary: The “open-source” movement in information technology is largely based on the innovative licensing schemes that encourage collaboration and sharing and promise reduced cost of ownership, customizable software and the ability to extract data in a usable format. Government organizations are becoming increasingly intolerant of the forced migrations (upgrades) and closed data standards (or incompatible data standards) that typically come with the use of proprietary software. To combat the problems of interoperability and cost, governments around the globe are beginning to consider, and in some cases, even require the use of open-source software (Hahn, 2002; Wong, 2004).

Athol Slaughterhouse Rises From The Ashes, Madeleine K. Charney

University Libraries Publication Series

Plans for rebuilding the Athol slaughterhouse destroyed by fire in 2006.

Ethics Across The Curriculum Modules For Eac Toolkit Workshops, William J. Frey, Jose A. Cruz-Cruz

Ethics in Science and Engineering National Clearinghouse

This collection of modules has been designed to show how the Ethics Across the Curriculum Toolkit project provides for the preparation and pairing of student and instructor modules. These modules have been brought together and paired to aid in Toolkit demonstrations designed for faculty developement workshops in ethics across the curriculum.

Abstract by author.

Making The Case For Transit-Oriented Development In Downtown Holyoke, Massachusetts, John Hersey

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Masters Projects

This report serves to inform the City of Holyoke about compelling features in its downtown district as they would pertain to the creation and management of a transit-oriented development district around the recently created Intermodal Transportation Center, a hub for bus service between Holyoke and other communities in the Pioneer Valley. These features were developed through literature and interview surveys and are described in a SWOT analysis, identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as existing and future advantages and disadvantages related to transit-oriented development.

Some of the more compelling strengths include a municipal reputation for attracting planning grants for large-scale …

Gee Book Is New Gardener's Mentor, Barbara Gee

University Libraries Publication Series

Book review of The Massachusetts Gardener's Companion: An Insider's Guide to Gardening from the Berkshires to the Islands by Barbara Gee (Globe Pequot Press, 2007)

Exploring The Frontiers Of Heritage: Economics, Social Ecology, And Collective Memory, Neil A. Silberman

Selected Publications of EFS Faculty, Students, and Alumni

No abstract provided.

Ethics Bowl Competition As Capstone Activity For Practical And Professional Ethics Classes, William J. Frey, Jose A. Cruz-Cruz

Ethics in Science and Engineering National Clearinghouse

In Connexions, a course is both a course (what is offered in a school curriculum) and a collection of modules. This course as a collection of modules has been designed to pull together the modules published in Connexions by this author for the purpose of showing different aspects of the Ethics Bowl competition and how it can be used in a university course on practical and professional ethics. The Ethics Bowl concept comes from Robert Ladenson of the Illinois Institute of Technology. Through the Association of Practical and Professional Ethics, the Ethics Bowl competition has been carried out nationally for …

Review Of Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia On Cd-Rom, Paula E. Hyman

University Libraries Publication Series

Book review (CD-ROM format) of a work that attempts to cover "the whole Jewish world and all of Jewish culture from the Hebrew Bible to the present." Also available online: http://jwa.org/

Using Case Studies In Teaching Research Ethics, Kenneth D. Pimple

Ethics in Science and Engineering National Clearinghouse

No abstract provided.

University Libraries Annual Report 2007, Jay Schafer

University Libraries Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Tragedy Of The Foss Commons? Investigating The Institutional Designs Of Free/Libre And Open Source Software Projects, Charles M. Schweik, Robert English

National Center for Digital Government

Free/Libre and Open Source Software projects (FOSS) are a form of Internetbased commons. Since 1968, when Garrett Hardin published his famous article “Tragedy of the Commons” in the journal Science, there has been significant interest in understanding how to manage commons appropriately, particularly in environmental fields. An important distinction between natural resource commons and FOSS commons is that the “tragedy” to be avoided in natural resources is overharvesting and the potential destruction of the resource. In FOSS commons the “tragedy” to be avoided is project abandonment and a “dead” project. Institutions – defined as informal norms, more formalized rules, and …

Identifying Success And Tragedy Of Floss Commons: A Preliminary Classification Of Sourceforge.Net Projects, Robert English, Charles M. Schweik

National Center for Digital Government

Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) projects are a form of commons where individuals work collectively to produce software that is a public, rather than a private, good. The famous phrase “Tragedy of the Commons” describes a situation where a natural resource commons, such as a pasture, or a water supply, gets depleted because of overuse. The tragedy in FLOSS commons is distinctly different -- it occurs when collective action ceases before a software product is produced or reaches its full potential. This paper builds on previous work about defining success in FLOSS projects by taking a collective action perspective. …

Minimalism Vs. Organic Syntax, Anne Marjatta Vainikka

Language Acquisition Work by Anne Vainikka

No abstract provided.

He Role Of Literacy In The Development Of L2 Morpho-Syntax From An Organic Grammar Perspective, Anne Marjatta Vainikka

Language Acquisition Work by Anne Vainikka

No abstract provided.

Permanently Temporary: Roma Refugee Youth Seeking Schooling, Karen N. Binger

Master's Capstone Projects

This study investigates the experiences of education in exile from a small case study of Roma refugee male youths from Kosovo temporarily settled in Macedonia as ‘asylum seekers.’ These refugees are at an overlooked age where they have slipped through the cracks between the post-war, short-term relief and longer-term development efforts in terms of education. Many of the frustrations of this community stem from their difficulties in accessing education, and their uncertain legal limbo or ‘permanently temporary’ situations.

As adolescents, refugees, and Roma, the youth are at a triple jeopardy of marginalization and invisibility. Through conversations with four Roma refugee …

Democracy And E-Rulemaking: Web-Based Technologies, Participation, And The Potential For Deliberation, David Schlosberg, Stephen Zavestoski, Stuart W. Shulman

eRulemaking Research Group

Deliberative democratic theorists and public participation scholars have become increasingly interested in institutionalized forms of citizen discourse with the state, including those facilitated by information technology. However, there have been very few empirical studies of the claims that the Internet will make public participation more inclusive and deliberative. We report the results of an exploratory survey of 1,556 citizen participants in regulatory public comment processes in the United States. Our analysis focuses on the differences in deliberative indicators between those who submitted their comments using newly available electronic tools and those who postal mailed or faxed letters on paper. We …

Reshaping Waterloo: History, Archaeology, And The European Heritage Industry, Neil A. Silberman

Selected Publications of EFS Faculty, Students, and Alumni

No abstract provided.

The Digital Divide Metaphor: Understanding Paths To It Literacy, Enrico Ferro, Natalie C. Helbig, J. Ramon Gil-Garci

National Center for Digital Government

Not having access or having a disadvantaged access to information, in an information-based society may be considered as a handicap (Compaine, 2001). In the last two decades scholars have gradually refined the conceptualization of digital divide, moving from a dichotomous model mainly based on access to a multidimensional model accounting for differences in usage levels and perspectives. While models became more complex, research continued to mainly focus on deepening the understanding of demographic and socioeconomic differences between adopters and non-adopters. In doing so, the process of basic IT skills acquisition has been largely overlooked. This paper presents a metaphorical interpretation …

Trophy Children Don’T Smile: Fashion Advertisements For Designer Children’S Clothing In Cookie Magazine, Chris Boulton

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

This study examines print advertising from Cookie, an up-scale American parenting magazine for affluent mothers. The ads include seven designer clothing brands: Rocawear, Baby Phat, Ralph Lauren, Diesel, Kenneth Cole, Sean John, and DKNY. When considered within the context of their adult equivalents, the ads for the children’s lines often created a prolepsis—or flash-forward—by depicting the child model as a nascent adult. This was accomplished in three ways. First, the children’s ads typically contained structural continuities such as logo, set design, and color scheme that helped reinforce their relationship with the adult brand. Second, most of the ads place the …

Maximizing Masculinity: A Textual Analysis Of Maxim Magazine, Kirsten Wisneski

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

This study examines the story that Maxim tells about masculinity, with particular focus on the type of humor in the magazine and its function; the way the magazine echoes embodied male-male social interaction, particularly “male-bonding”; and how the magazine pits “real” women against the Maxim fantasy women.