Drawing the big picture: Temporal visualization of dynamic collaboration graphs of OSS software forks

Abstract

How can we understand FOSS collaboration better? Can social issues that emerge be identified and addressed as they happen? Can the community heal itself, become more transparent and inclusive, and promote diversity? We propose a technique to address these issues by quantitative analysis and temporal visualization of social dynamics in FOSS communities. We used social network analysis metrics to identify growth patterns and unhealthy dynamics; This gives the community a heads-up when they can still take action to ensure the sustainability of the project.