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Contemplating the possible retirement of Apache OpenOffice

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Re: Contemplating the possible retirement of Apache OpenOffice

#121
post #59
post #32

I think the document foundation should get the brand, instant of Apache squatting. It's still far better known that libreoffice.

It made a sense few years ago, now Libre Office has a brand of its own. I don't think having the ownership would be useful now.

I still think and say "open office." LibreOffice is that thing that I downloaded when I heard about OpenOffice being insecure.

Probably the lesson to learn here is that an open source project should do as much as possible to keep its branding separate from its parent companies.

Re: Contemplating the possible retirement of Apache OpenOffice

#122
post #89

Parallel universe: http://www.mail-archive.com/dev@openoffice.apache.org/msg282... If we look at LibreOffice and compare: LibreOffice, that is *good* (not more) software and *excellent* public relations. OpenOffice, that is *excellent* software and *pretty bad* public relations. Proof: http://www.mail-archive.com/dev@openoffice.apache.org/msg282... Secondly, as alluded to above, we should prepare ourselves for the FU…

I'd hesitate to claim that OpenOffice is "excellent software", if the security issues aren't being addressed in a timely manner.

Re: Contemplating the possible retirement of Apache OpenOffice

#123
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> libreoffice I hate that name. As a German I have no idea how to pronounce it and it's even harder for my non-techy friends. The name "Open office" has a very nice flow and everybody knows how to pronounce it, but "libre office"? They should have selected an easier name for that project.

It is just a name. Really problematic was that after Oracle did not wanted to continue the OpenOffice(.org) project, Apache accepted to take it over. That kept the website people knew up and help spread the false image that OpenOffice is an active project with serious people and development effort behind it.

“There are only two hard things in Computer Science: cache invalidation and… ”

Re: Contemplating the possible retirement of Apache OpenOffice

#124
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> libreoffice I hate that name. As a German I have no idea how to pronounce it and it's even harder for my non-techy friends. The name "Open office" has a very nice flow and everybody knows how to pronounce it, but "libre office"? They should have selected an easier name for that project.

FlossOffice? even stranger, and make sure to use it at least once a day :-)

Would be popular among dentists :-)

Re: Contemplating the possible retirement of Apache OpenOffice

#125
post #3
post #2

I thought everyone interested in a FOSS office suite was using libreoffice.

Everybody is using LibreOffice, except a poor few that get misguided by search services to the Apache OpenOffice website. IMHO there is no sane reason why Apache OpenOffice still exists. Edit: Looks like there are a lot more OpenOffice users out there than I thought, sorry. I really thought the world would have moved on, at least since 2013/14, see https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/St...

Not me! I use real Microsoft Office. And it works great.

Re: Contemplating the possible retirement of Apache OpenOffice

#126
post #120
post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"End users play no role any more? Good luck with that." In what parallel universe do you get that conclusion from that thread?

My last remark was too snarky and out of context, I am sorry. You want both projects to merge again with OO being the 'core' and LO the 'user interface'? Sounds intriguing, but are both code bases still compatible enough for that? Would this not be more effort than gain? What is obvious is that the AOO project cannot support, at the present time, being an end-user focused effort. I would suggest we focus on not being…

I didn't say "merge". Being a library or framework which can be consumed, either in whole or in part, by another entity is in no way a "merge".

Re: Contemplating the possible retirement of Apache OpenOffice

#127
post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doubt it. I would imagine that many lay users associate "free" with low quality. "Open" on the other hand has positive connotations.

Hell, in a few years' time, Silicon Valley might finally have made "free" an outright bad thing for some significant group of people.

Silicon Valley, where "free" means "don't get used to this because we're selling to google and shutting it down in three months"

Re: Contemplating the possible retirement of Apache OpenOffice

#129
post #38

Could they drop openoffice, then rename libreoffice to openoffice? That would be fantastic

This. Name natters. IME 90% of people I know who want to quickly look through a PowerPoint on Linux will install OpenOffice. Even when they hear that libre is the better version 80% of them would stay with oo as it is the "real" oo.

Also, 85% of statistics are made up on the spot based upon anecdotal data.

Re: Contemplating the possible retirement of Apache OpenOffice

#130
post #59
post #32

I think the document foundation should get the brand, instant of Apache squatting. It's still far better known that libreoffice.

It made a sense few years ago, now Libre Office has a brand of its own. I don't think having the ownership would be useful now.

I'd wager that most of LibreOffice's brand recognition is by people who are aware of the fork
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