Bug-fixing and code-writing: The private provision of open source software

Open source software (OSS) is a public good. A self-interested individual would consider providing OSS if the benefits to be gained from it justify the cost of programming. Nevertheless, each agent is tempted to free-ride and wait for others to develop the software instead. We model this problem as a war of attrition with complete information, job signaling, repeated contribution to the public good and uncertainty in programming. The resulting game does not feature any delay; software will be provided swiftly, by young, low-cost individuals who gain from signaling their programming skills. The startup (and collapse) of an OSS project displays bandwagon dynamics.