Pragmatism, not ideology: Historical perspectives on IBM’s adoption of open-source software

We track IBM’s approach to software production and commercialization between 1950 and the present. We find that in the 1950s IBM followed what today would be called an open-source model – its software source code was open, free of charge, and written collaboratively with its users. By the mid 1980s, all of these attributes had been reversed – IBM’s software was closed source, sold or leased independently of hardware sales, and written without the collaboration of its users. More recently, the company has been in a state of transition, achieving a balance between free, open-source software and proprietary software that still generates 20% of its revenues. We interpret these radical swings in light of the substantial changes that have taken place since the 1950s in the costs and benefits of open source, bundled, and collaborative software vis-à-vis the alternatives.     

Competition and open source with perfect software compatibility

In this paper we study duopolistic competition between closed and open source software. Inspired by recent contributions on open source, we propose a two-stage game with perfect information and product differentiation, in which producers first set software quality and then determine prices (the price is zero for open source programs). We assume perfect software compatibility and model lock-in effects, a network externality component of software quality, and accumulation of experience in software use and implementation. In comparison to the monopolistic benchmark case, we argue that, in a duopoly created by the emergence of an open source program, the proprietary software producer will reduce its selling price if: (i) its network of users is larger than the open source network and its consumers are largely familiar with its program, (ii) it has a small network of unskilled consumers. On the other hand, the price of proprietary software will increase if its users form a large, but poorly-skilled network. Furthermore, we show that, in all of the above cases, the hedonic quality of proprietary software increases. Finally, by modeling experience accumulation processes through difference equations, we show that the ratio between the closed and open source programs’ opportunity costs for software learning and deployment plays a crucial role in shaping market outcomes. If open source software remains too complex and technical for unskilled or time-pressed users, a shared market solution, in which both programs are adopted, is likely to emerge. However, if opportunity costs in learning and understanding open source programs are particularly low, or at least equal to the opportunity costs of a closed-source program, then open source dominance emerges (i.e. markets tip to open source).     

洱海流域城乡经济发展与洱海湖泊水环境保护的实证分析

以云南大理市洱海及其流域为例,通过建立湖泊水质指标演变与流域人均GDP增长的计量模型,对环境库兹涅茨曲线(EKC)进行新的检验发现:基于时间序列数据的洱海水质指标与流域人均GDP的拟合曲线,与环境库兹涅茨曲线相比较呈现了不同特征和形状:既有经典的倒U型的曲线,也有U型、N型和同步型的曲线。倒U型的曲线表明洱海治理措施的有效性;U型、N型和同步型的曲线表明湖泊面源污染和富营养化控制的复杂性,湖泊面源污染和富营养化控制需要寻求的新解决思路和多种措施的配合。在借鉴国外经验和国内有价值的研究成果的基础上,本研究将有利于通过结构调整对面源污染从源头实施总量控制,推进"工程治污"与"结构控源"措施的优化与配合,辅助湖泊水环境的规划与管理及决策。     

区域经济一体化理论的缘起、发展与缺陷

受西方区域经济理论及社会发展趋势的影响,区域经济一体化正成为促进地区经济发展的重要形式。我国学者借鉴国内外相关理论从更为普遍的角度对区域经济一体化源起、发展的相关理论进行研究,并总结了区域经济一体化理论在发展过程中存在的缺陷。     

我国轻质碳酸镁、轻质氧化镁生产现状及其发展

概述了我国轻质碳酸镁、轻质氧化镁的生产现状,特别分析了国内二镁生产优势及差距,最后对我国二镁发展提出了建议。     

浅谈如何提高环境应急监测能力

针对环境应急监测在突发性环境污染事件中的作用、要求、现状以及管理特点,分别论述了风险源识别、敏感环境调查、污染预防、应急监测体系建设、软硬件建设、应急监测演练等环节对提高环境应急监测速度及应急监测能力的重要性。研究结果对应急监测机构快速、高效地应对环境应急监测工作和保证应急监测质量具有一定的现实指导意义。     

感光材料废物处置与回收利用

介绍了《国家危险废物名录》中HW16号感光材料废物的产生来源与其中有害成分对人的影响,及其国内外现有的几种处置、回收利用技术。对该类废物的治理提出了一些环境管理对策。     

封套的光热环境与表面热流影响因素分析

从封套所处的光热环境出发,介绍了封套与环境之间几种典型的热量交换形式,包括:太阳辐射、大气逆辐射、地面的热反射与热辐射,以及封套表面的对流换热等。在合理假设的基础上,构建了封套传热的数学模型,分析了几种主要因素对封套表面热流密度的影响。研究结果对弹药等的野外储存具有一定的指导意义。     

农户生态耕种行为及其影响因素研究*——以江西省为例

[目的]为清晰识别影响农户生态耕种行为的主要因素,以期为加强耕地生态保护、保障农作物质量安全、提升农户耕种收益、实现农业现代化目标提供参考。[方法]基于江西省11市47县(区)1488份农户微观调查数据,在分析农户生态耕种特征基础上,运用二元Logistic和Probit模型对农户生态耕种行为影响因素开展实证研究。[结果]农户生态耕种10种具体行为的采纳情况差异明显,其中施用有机肥采纳程度最高,生态农业模式采纳程度最低。农户采纳生态耕种整体水平不高,但仍具备进一步推广的潜力。家庭劳动力比重、生态耕种成本认知、新型农业经营主体、法律法规认知、生态耕种收益认知、生计分化和生态环境认知等解释变量是影响农户生态耕种行为的主要内部因素,政府补贴、农田基础设施、生产交流程度、耕地质量变化和生态耕种信息获取难度等则是主要的外部影响因素。[结论]政府及基层管理部门应在推动农户非农就业生计、大力培育新型农业经营主体、加强生态耕种宣传与推广、完善政策扶持与管控机制等方面制定针对性的政策措施。     

农户减少化肥用量和采用有机肥的意愿研究——基于洱海流域上游面源污染防控的视角

[目的]过量施用化肥导致水体富营养化是造成洱海流域上游面源污染的主要原因之一,调查分析农户减少化肥用量和采用有机肥的意愿有助于了解其调整施肥结构的行为。当前研究忽视了农户减少化肥施用强度和采用有机肥的意愿间的替代性,未能开展联立研究。[方法]基于洱海流域上游397个水稻种植户的问卷调查数据,通过Bivariate-Probit模型对农户减少化肥用量和采用有机肥两种意愿进行分析。[结果]年龄负向影响农户减少化肥量的意愿,农户对有机肥好处的认知正向影响其减少化肥量的意愿,农户参加农业社会化服务对其减少化肥用量和采用有机肥的意愿均产生正向影响,相比之下,对农户采用有机肥意愿的促进作用更大。[结论]引导农户参加农业社会化服务以及加强宣传和培训,提高农户对有机肥作用的认知可能是加强其减少化肥用量和增加有机肥施用量意愿的有效途径。