Evolving Social Weighted Networks: Nonlocal Dynamics of Open Source Communities

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the structure and growth of open source communities as complex weighted networks, revealing scaling laws and proposing a non-local model based on betweenness centrality that explains their hierarchical organization.

Contribution

It introduces a model of network growth using non-local rules based on betweenness centrality, aligning well with observed scaling laws in open source communities.

Findings

Open source communities form complex weighted networks with scaling laws.

A non-local growth model based on betweenness centrality fits observed data.

Hierarchical organization influences community dynamics.

Abstract

Complex networks emerge under different conditions through simple rules of growth and evolution. Such rules are typically local when dealing with biological systems and most social webs. An important deviation from such scenario is provided by communities of agents engaged in technology development, such as open source (OS) communities. Here we analyze their network structure, showing that it defines a complex weighted network with scaling laws at different levels, as measured by looking at e-mail exchanges. We also present a simple model of network growth involving non-local rules based on betweenness centrality. The model outcomes fit very well the observed scaling laws, suggesting that the overall goals of the community and the underlying hierarchical organization play a key role is shaping its dynamics.