[vox] Reasons you might not want to use OpenOffice

Fri Oct 29 11:15:12 PDT 2010

In general this is correct.  FOSS as a development model started to take off
with other OS's in 1999-2000 (which I noticed when a growing critical core
of projectsstarted cropping up on SF.net for win32, Mac and eventually
Palm).

Now it is simply ingrained among a growing set of coders.  My favorite GUI
based SQL tool is FOSS (GPL v2), but currently only has a win32 binary
(HeidiSQL)...and that is far from the only example of stuff like this.

Microsoft has zero incentive generally to promote FOSS-anything, especially
if it impacts their core set of products (OS, Office/Backend, Project,
Sharepoint)

ja

On Thu, Oct 28, 2010 at 12:44 PM, Ryan Northrup <
northrupthebandgeek at gmail.com> wrote:

> I think the Linux software being ported to Windows is more out of popular
> demand (and unwillingness to switch operating systems) than it is by
> Microsoft's direct influence.  Several Windows ports of Linux-originated
> software that I've seen were explicitly stated to be third-party projects,
> separate from the official project.  For example, QEMU, on the download page
> on the main site, is available solely as a source tarball (see
> http://wiki.qemu.org/Download for reference).  A Windows port isn't even
> mentioned, at least that I can tell (the Windows binary is available at
> http://www.h7.dion.ne.jp/~qemu-win/, clearly not the QEMU homepage).
>
> In short, I'm convinced that many Windows ports are done by users hoping to
> be able to use this software without worrying about a new operating system,
> not by people being encouraged to do so by Microsoft.  Likewise, I'm certain
> that OpenOffice was created to provide a less-expensive alternative to
> Microsoft Office (which is expensive), not to prevent monopolistic
> accusations against Microsoft.
>
> P.S.  I did some research on the relationships between Coke and RC Cola,
> and between Seiko and Casio.  Neither pairs are evidenced in corporate
> histories.  The closest thing there was to a relationship was a merger
> attempt between Coca-Cola and Dr. Pepper/Seven-Up (into which the RC Cola
> brand was folded into by both their owners, Cadbury Schweppes), which was
> blocked by the FTC.  Any benefit that one of these companies provided to the
> other is a side effect, and likely not nearly as great of a benefit as the
> maintenance of market dominance.
>
> If I'm horribly mis-guided and incorrect, my apologies.
>
> On Thu, Oct 28, 2010 at 9:10 AM, Michael Cheselka <cheselka at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>>
>> Most of this doesn't apply to recent versions of OpenOffice.org.
>>
>> As far as FS versus FOSS is concerned; they are the same thing.  FS is
>> considered vague( hence clarifying with "free as in speech vs free as
>> in beer") so people came up with FLOSS.  I personally believe it
>> should be Freedom Software or Freeing Software to make it easy and
>> clear.  Microsoft is in favor of free software because it enables them
>> to escape monopoly charges.  Also, Microsoft is currently wooing free
>> software developers to develop for Windows.  Many programs associated
>> with Linux are available for Windows now like Cygnus, GIMP,
>> OpenOffice.org, MPlayer, VLC, etc.* Many high end markets try to
>> control the low end, often by creating low products to compete with
>> their own high end products.  Hence, Coke introduced RC cola, Seiko
>> created Casio, etc...  Microsoft benefits from free software of all
>> types and would like to have more of it, not less.  The idea that
>> OpenOffice.org is threatening to Microsoft and that they would like to
>> stamp it out is not true.  They couldn't keep people from writing
>> useful programs and giving them away if they wanted.  It's guaranteed
>> as free speech.
>>
>> There are numerous free software licenses but in my mind I simplify
>> them as either requiring you to contribute under some circumstances or
>> asking for nothing, or almost nothing, in return.
>> ,
>> * of course the opposite has happened too, like Acroread, Skype,
>> Dropbox, VMware, and many others I can't name.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Michael Cheselka
>> 650-488-4820
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Oct 27, 2010 at 15:18, Will Marshall <marshaw3 at imail.losrios.edu>
>> wrote:
>> > On Wed, Oct 27, 2010 at 1:00 PM, Bill Kendrick <nbs at sonic.net> wrote:
>> >> On Wed, Oct 27, 2010 at 10:25:49AM -0700, Brian Lavender wrote:
>> >>> What you say is exactly what is happening. I ask technical questions
>> >>> on the list about OpenOffice and no one responds. I post an email as
>> to
>> >>> why you might not want to use OpenOffice and the FLOSS'ers (FOSS as
>> you
>> >>> call it) immediately jump to its defense.  I think we have a number of
>> >>> hobbyists on this list. There should be a Lugod elite organization.
>> Those
>> >>> who practice it and those who get it. ;-)
>> >>
>> > Well, to a large degree before (and to some extent now) posting to
>> > this list, I just skimmed messages, and just trashed anything without
>> > immediate interest.  I doubt I'm the only person here who is
>> > subscribed to so many mailing lists that fully reading everything is
>> > impossible.
>> >
>> > There were also several messages where people stated a preference
>> > using LaTeX rather than any word processor (and indeed presentation)
>> > software.  Others defended using whatever worked, whether it was OO,
>> > MS Word, or iWorks.  I know that depending on what I need done, I'll
>> > use OO, Neo-Office, LaTeX, InDesign, Scribus, emacs, (or even vi) etc.
>> > Each has its strengths and drawbacks.  As to specific technical
>> > issues, I'll leave that to people who use $SPECIFIC_APP more regularly
>> > and thus, are more qualified to answer.
>> >
>> >> I think this is why we have 'vox' (general discussion, chatter, and
>> >> apparently arguments when I'm not paying attention)
>> >
>> > Oldest traditios on the internet: Fluff, thread-drift, and arguing :)
>> >
>> >> and 'vox-tech' for
>> >> the "how do I do this?" questions, and (hopefully) answers.
>> >>
>> > Great.  Yet another list to subscribe to.
>> >
>> > Regards,
>> > Will
>> >
>> > --
>> > "The effect of music is so very much more powerful and penetrating
>> > than is that of the other arts, for these others speak only of the
>> > shadow, but music of the essence." -- Schopenhauer
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>
>
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-- 
Joseph Arruda
http://www.josepharruda.com
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