Dirk Riehle's Industry and Research Publications

Category: 1.2 Open Source (Industry)

  • The quotable guide to “why contribute to open source projects”

    The quotable guide to “why contribute to open source projects”

    I provided the following quotes to the Open Logistics Foundation’s member magazine, where they were published in German and in somewhat modified form. Here are the original quotes. Managing your dependencies “Using an open source component creates a dependency on that component. If this dependency is important, the most effective way to manage the dependency…

  • The software bill of materials [Computer Magazine]

    The software bill of materials [Computer Magazine]

    I’m happy to report that the 34th article in the open source column of IEEE Computer has been published. As always, please consider writing an article proposal! Title The Software Bill of Materials Keywords Bill Of Materials, Open Source Software, Software Supply Chain, […] Authors Dirk Riehle Publication Computer vol. 58, no. 4 (April 2025),…

  • A systematic review of common beginner programming mistakes in data engineering [CSEE&T 2025]

    A systematic review of common beginner programming mistakes in data engineering [CSEE&T 2025]

    Abstract The design of effective programming languages, libraries, frameworks, tools, and platforms for data engineering strongly depends on their ease and correctness of use. Anyone who ignores that it is humans who use these tools risks building tools that are useless, or worse, harmful. To ensure our data engineering tools are based on solid foundations,…

  • Governance practices for open source foundations in the healthcare sector [ICSOB 2024]

    Governance practices for open source foundations in the healthcare sector [ICSOB 2024]

    Abstract Open source (OS) foundations are non-profit organizations that support open-source software development projects. OS foundations can be categorized based on their membership and governance structures. This study focuses on vendor-led and user-led OS foundations operating in the healthcare sector. The study has two objectives. The first objective is to explore the similarities and differences…

  • What is “openwashing” (in software)?

    What is “openwashing” (in software)?

    “Openwashing” is a term used by proponents of community open-source software against commercial open source companies. The goal is to shame the companies into changing their business model as well as to prevent the business model in the first place. The claim is that commercial open source companies may be providing open-source software, but are…

  • Stop maligning commercial open source, start helping it

    Stop maligning commercial open source, start helping it

    You may have noticed how some open source enthusiasts are complaining about companies which relicensed their open source components to proprietary licenses. These companies get maligned using terms like “rug pull” and “bait and switch”, suggesting they were deliberately deceiving their users. I don’t want to speculate about the companies’ intentions, but I do want…