Free and open-source software in China:towards a Sinicisation of FOSS local spaces

Chinese Free and Open-Source Software has become a structural component of the Chinese Internet in recent years. Despite FOSS’s cultural importance as a value-laden IT practice, the topic has received little attention from the social sciences. This article contributes to filling this gap by using as a lens a local association of FOSS enthusiasts located in one major Chinese city, c. 10 years after the 1st observation (Tarantino 2011), focussing on FOSS practitioners’ imaginaries and motivations.