Re: [tdf-discuss] I like the name LibreOffice

Hi Stefan,

2010/10/12 Stefan Weigel <stefan.weigel@bildungskreis.org>

> Hi Jon,
>
> Jon Hamkins schrieb:
>
>
>  To explain what LibreOffice means, first I have to explain what libre
> > means, because it isn't an English word.
>
> Well, LibreOffice isn´t an English product. It´s made by an international
> community from all over the world. And it´s made for users all over the
> world. I am sure, it will be available in an amazing number of different
> languages.
>
> So, why do you think things would be easier, if the name of the product was
> English?
>
>
>  It's as easy to explain as any other foreign word
> >
>
> What do you mean by "foreign"? I think, "open" is a foreign word to at
> least as many people as "libre" is.


Well, I'm a Czech and my native language is Czech. The problem I have with
"LibreOffice" is that it's just hard to pronounce. I'm not very good at
saying the French "r", so I try to say "LibreOffice" with an English accent,
which doesn't sound very good either. "LibreOffice" with a Czech accent
sounds even worse.

It's not a problem of foreign words: "OpenOffice" is easy to pronounce for
Czechs, just like "e-mail", "Firefox", "Google," "Linux," "Inkscape," and
other English-based names. But "LibreOffice" is just a bit too complex,
mainly due to the French "r" and the different possible pronunciations of
"Libre".o the French "r" and the different possible pronunciations of
"Libre".

>  On the other hand, I don't have to explain OpenOffice.org, because it's
> > already in the lexicon -- 300 million people have already downloaded it.
> >  For those that haven't, they at least already know what "open" means, and
> > it's easy to explain how that relates to the software.
>
> Yes, but now the software is not (only) open any more, but has become free
> (in sense of liberty). And IMO it´s a very good way to demonstrate this
> transition by the changing of the name from "OpenOffice" to "LibreOffice".
>
> Stefan.
>
>
>
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