Do Open Source Software Developers Listen to Their Users?

TL;DR

This paper investigates how open source software developers handle user feedback and finds that most do not prioritize usability or consult usability experts, potentially impacting user satisfaction.

Contribution

It provides empirical data on OSS developers' practices regarding user feedback and usability consultation, highlighting gaps in usability focus.

Findings

Most OSS developers do not prioritize usability.

Few OSS projects consult usability experts.

User feedback handling is limited in OSS development.

Abstract

In application software, the satisfaction of target users makes the software more acceptable. Open Source Software (OSS) systems have neither the physical nor the commercial boundaries of proprietary software, thus users from all over the world can interact with them. This free access is advantageous, as increasing numbers of users are able to access OSS; there are more chances of improvement. This study examines the way users feedback is handled by OSS developers. In our survey, we have also inquired whether OSS developers consult professional usability experts to improve their projects. According to the results, majority of OSS developers neither consider usability as their top priority nor do they consult usability experts.