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Don't Expect an OpenOffice/LibreOffice Merger
Since Oracle has decided to give OpenOffice back to the community, a lot of people wondered if there would be some sort of re-unification with the ex-Oracle and the Document Foundation run by a lot of the original involved folks. The latter has released a statement saying, "the development of TDF community and LibreOffice is going forward as planned, and we are always willing to include new members and partners. We will provide as many information as we can with the progress of the situation. We are currently making every possible effort to offer a smooth transition to the project."
It is OpenOffice.org
Why would I expect a merger? It feels like they only forked a couple of months ago.
which is totally what she said
a dangerous move to merge back , Oracle cannot be trusted.
First you ask Oracle to release the brand, then when they do so, you act like you couldn't care.
I hope no one sees this and thinks the rest of the FOSS movement is alike, but who am I kidding?
LibreOffice is such a crappy name that it, alone, should make you merge back.
LibreOffice is a better name anyway. OpenOffice.org sounds kind of infomercial-ish, and very 90s.
Been using Libre Office since the first release (sorta buggy, but from second on, it's much more solid than Open Office ever was). Without the drag from the corporate offices, releases seem Really Fast (compared to the Open Office process) and easier to install, probably because of the shorter lag between underlying package releases and Office releases. I think the smaller group seems to have it together, and I sorta like it being fully independent (like Linux is). So in conclusion, let's just keep it the way it is....
-- Ancient (IBM 1620 and Atari 400) Programmer
Something stinks.
As long as Oracle holds on to the Open Office trademark, I doubt that it will merge with LO. Personally, I don't think it matters any more. LO has the momentum, and community support. My guess? Most significant contributors to OOo will migrate to LO and TDF.
decide which project survives and which one will languish by the number of their respective downloads and volunteer support.
Running with Linux for over 20 years!
Oracle has three things of value for the community:
The Copyrights
Oracle still owns the copyrights of OpenOffice. Everybody will be able to use, modify, and distribute OpenOffice under the rights granted in the license, which never terminates. That license is LGPL2 for versions before 3.0, and LGPL3 for 3.0 beta and later, and the PDL for documentation. However, if the copyrights were transferred to a non-profit foundation, that foundation would be able to re-license OpenOffice as licenses develop. Laws change over time, and licenses must change to meet them. It would also be possible for the non-profit to enforce the larger part of the copyright rights. Currently, individual contributors or the project as their representative can enforce the copyright rights and license terms only on post-Oracle modifications. It would also be able to protect OpenOffice against pernicious changes in the commercial copyright holder. Products and companies get sold and change management. Remember that SCO was a "friendly" Linux company called Caldera before they went on their legal rampage. 501(c)3's, however, can devise covenants that keep their copyrights public property forever, and are legally limited to disburse their holdings only to other 501(c)3's on dissolution.
The Domain
OpenOffice.org is well known, and most instances of the software on user systems still reference it. Transferring this to a non-profit would be helpful.
Patents
Oracle might hold patents that read on OpenOffice, or could be used to defend it against other companies that bring patent suits. We can use Oracle's patents that are embedded in OpenOffice under the terms of the LGPL2 and LGPL3. But it would be nice to have some help in defending the program.
How Oracle Can Hurt
Oracle can hurt by trying to muscle the non-profit into accepting some sort of control from Oracle, be it a board position or something else. We have ample evidence that the project, since 1999, did poorly in gaining developers under a corporation's control. And if anything, Oracle makes other companies less comfortable than Sun would have. It's time for the project to be independent. The project should reject any offers that come with a demand for continuing control.
Thanks
Bruce
Bruce Perens.
When the average Joe can't even pronounce the name and ends up calling it "libber office", you have to admit it wasn't thought out very well. At least "open" is instantly recognizable and easy to pronounce. Marketing is for the masses, not the acedemics.
Does anyone think this makes Oracle less trustworthy? Who knows when they might flip to a different mindset. Even with their impeccable reputation from before. Anyways this is not a surprise. The community wanted to break away from Oracle as soon as they acquired Sun. It just took a few weeks for Oracle to give them a reason.
Around the time of the split, I decided to give IBM Lotus Symphony a try. It's based on Open Office and so far I'm really happy with it. No real interest in going back to Open Office, and no need to try LibreOffice at this point.
many people are thinking about mysql and vbox forks, why libreoffice merge?!?
I just want a better search and replace, and the stupid web layout to work. Seems neither project can get these right.
MS Office is a fantastic product. Microsoft has done a few things right: Windows 7, Office, and Xbox. Everything else is garbage. Well, Visual Studio is ok too I guess. But that's it, otherwise, they're evil monsters!
Also: Oracle is evil, and I do not like that they own MySQL. SQLite is my db of choice now.
I thought LibreOffice was formed to create an office suite solution that was fully FOSS and not dependent on use of closed java solutions. If that's the case, wouldn't LibreOffice want to see OO go away? Why merge?
So here's your chance to fix them yourself.
Embrace, Extend then Extinguish
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I was so hoping LibreOffice would go away as a term. It annoys me so much.
OfficeLibre -- In just about any language where Libre - root words are used, adjectives are Postfix, not Prefix.
It's OfficeLibre, not LibreOffice.
Damnation. We're now stuck with this awful name.
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Too late: I've already started to recommend LibreOffice to people moving from Office 2003. It's free, it's doesn't have the learning curve of Office 2007/2010. And unless you're doing some complicated Excel sheets, LibreOffice works fine for spreadsheets.
No direction: If the community has moved to LibreOffice, who's left supporting and maintaining OpenOffice?
These people do not care or understand FOSS at all. Just removed my last OpenOffice installation today.
Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
I still think copyright assignment makes sense for this project for a whole host of reasons.
At the same time I think the acquisition shows the beginning of why people were quite right to be hesitant about assigning copyright on their contributions to Sun. People with the Document Foundation hold up the increased number of contributions they've gotten without requiring copyright assignment as a reason not to have it. Of course, to a large extent it's been moot since they don't hold the copyright to most of the project. But I think that to the extent copyright assignment has been a factor, almost all of those put off by a Sun/Oracle copyright agreement would have been ok with assigning copyright to a well-governed nonprofit.
I know it's a rather long shot, but I still think the only unambiguously positive outcome for all this is that Oracle hands copyrights and trademarks over to the Document Foundation or a newly-chartered organization quite similar to it, they become the copyright holder, they reintroduce copyright assignment, and their charter provides a strong enough guarantee about openness and licenses that people feel secure in contributing under those terms.
Both suck. Do not want.
Thank you for taking the time to inform us of your indifference. Would you care to make a list of other subjects you are not interested in? Maybe provide an XML feed, so I can have it as a widget on my phone?
Let me make a few suggestions to get the ball rolling:
The fall of the roman empire was gay!
Aroma therapy sucks balls.
I don't give a fuck about Alexander Hamilton.
On second thought, I think I'll make my own feed.
Anyway google docs is better :)
I expect you to die!
Yes, because people who write for a living have hundreds of extra hours to devote to first learning, then finding the location of then fixing a problem, then dealing with the bureaucracy to get the fix installed, reloading the app, and finally, having it do some work-aroundable thing they long ago worked around.
Non analysts/developers/programmers have a right to point out flaws and shortcomings in an application without being told to fix it themselves. It reminds me of the time I posted a bug report on auto-cap and some developer basically said I shouldn't be typing without capitalizing myself. WTF? Don't have a friggin' feature that doesn't work. And by extension, don't do calculations in spreadsheets because the user is perfectly capable of doing math and typing.
The proprietary version of the software, StarOffice / Oracle Open Office, had a lot of other goodies like additional file filters, clip art, document templates and enterprise environment management features. If Oracle was willing to give that stuff to the OO.o foundation as well, then a merger would definitely be worthwhile.
Signatures are a waste of bandwi (buffering...)
Good, because Oracle's whole move was a ruthless high end power game. They bought Sun to be able to mess with Java, except I don't recall them having any direct stake in any of Google's direct lines. It's almost like it's a five-company DDOS lawsuit attack. (Helping both MS and Apple by trying to make Google "lose momentum" etc?)
My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine
Like it was said on the Linux Action Show, screw your Oracle, we can't trust you!
To see a few of my Android apps goto: www.hartwired.com
Yes. Now, it would be interesting to figure out which ones they own. Some of them probably incorporate third-party proprietary software.
Bruce Perens.
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Maybe they should hold a contest and have people submit names for the project. Just sayin' !
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>>> Are you aware that there are languages other than English? >>>
If you are referring to French and Spanish, LibreOffice is just incomprehensible. You would have to say:
bureau libre
libre officina
Some communities are able to get over signing copyright assignation forms, although it definitely creates some friction. Even the FSF has problems getting copyright assignation for GNU Emacs on occasion, and you have to be pretty paranoid if you are worried about the FSF misusing Emacs source code.
Copyright assignation might involve more than mere friction - actually, the mind boggles at the mechanisms which might be involved. Copyright assignment , on the other hand, is a fairly routine legal procedure.
Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. - Voltaire
I am still waiting to find out when Miguel and his fellow Novellistas will make their move to slip mono into Libre Office. It has surely only got to be a matter of time.
"Foundation Office" a name you can trust.
One of the best experts in Sweden to write tips and how to use OpenOffice is "Påvel" he got a blog about it.
He write now at Swedish (use Google translate to read) that he moving over to LibreOffice:
http://pavel.frimix.se/2011/04/18/adjo-openoffice-org/
So I think the future is there.
On second thought, I think I'll make my own feed.
Just don't forget the blackjack and hookers.
"I'm not sure I like the fugnutish tone you used in your post!" -RogL (608926)-
I think "Liberty Office" would be a better name.