Socio-Technical Well-Being of Quantum Software Communities: An Overview on Community Smells

TL;DR

This paper explores the socio-technical challenges, specifically community smells, faced by quantum software communities, highlighting their impact on community health and the need for further research to ensure sustainability.

Contribution

It provides a first cross-sectional analysis of socio-technical community smells in quantum open-source communities, addressing a significant research gap.

Findings

Identification of prevalent community smells in quantum communities

Analysis of socio-technical factors affecting community health

Foundation for future mitigation strategies

Abstract

Quantum computing has gained significant attention due to its potential to solve computational problems beyond the capabilities of classical computers. With major corporations and academic institutions investing in quantum hardware and software, there has been a rise in the development of quantum-enabled systems, particularly within open-source communities. However, despite the promising nature of quantum technologies, these communities face critical socio-technical challenges, including the emergence of socio-technical anti-patterns known as community smells. These anti-patterns, prevalent in open-source environments, have the potential to negatively impact both product quality and community health by introducing technical debt and amplifying architectural and code smells. Despite the importance of these socio-technical factors, there remains a scarcity of research investigating their influence within quantum open-source communities. This work aims to address this gap by providing a first step in analyzing the socio-technical well-being of quantum communities through a cross-sectional study. By understanding the socio-technical dynamics at play, it is expected that foundational knowledge can be established to mitigate the risks associated with community smells and ensure the long-term sustainability of open-source quantum initiatives.