Organizational and managerial theories of modularity applied to the design and production of complex artifacts are used to interpret the rise and success of development methodologies and practices in Free/Open Source software projects. Strengths and risks of the adoption of a modular approach in software project management are introduced and are related to the achievements of various Free/Open Source Software projects (among them: the GNU operating system, the Linux kernel, the HURD kernel). It is suggested that mindful implementation of the principles of modularity may improve the rate of success of many Free/Open Source software projects. Specific case studies here depicted, as well as indirect observation of common programming practices employed by Free/Open Source developers and users, suggest a possible revision towards an improved theory of modularity that may be extended also to settings different from software production.
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