Re: [tdf-discuss] Re: Oracle contributes OOo Code to Apache Software Foundation'sIncubator

I just signed up as a committer on the Apache incubator this morning. Why?

Am I against LO and TDF - no, at heart I'm a copyleft person, however, there
are also practical realities to consider too sometimes. What is the worst
case? OOo code and trademark go with Apache and then little is done. LO and
TDF can carry on business as usual. Best case scenario (depending on what
you view as good or bad :-) ) IBM and others put in engineering effort and
the OOo code base improves. TDF take and improve that code and release it
with a copyleft license. TDF engineers cooperate with OOo engineers to
ensure that as far as possible both sets of code remain manageable. Ok,
there is a threat that developers from the TDF camp migrate to the OOo camp.
But really there is not much choice than to take that risk. It will depend
on how many really want only to work on copyleft code.

The not possible scenario which we might have liked better is Oracle donate
everything to TDF - but they didn't and they won't so it's a case of "if my
aunt had balls she would be my uncle". She hasn't so she isn't.  :-)

One thing that is very clear is that if TDF had not been formed Oracle would
not transferred things to Apache, at least not this soon. So brilliant you
guys, you took a risk and it has at least mostly worked if not perfectly.
 Better now to look for the opportunities rather than the threats when
really there is not much that can be done about them. Pack out the
committers list on Apache and make sure you have a say in the governance of
OOo as well as TDF and LO.

-- 
Ian

Ofqual Accredited IT Qualifications
The Schools ITQ

www.theINGOTs.org +44 (0)1827 305940

You have received this email from the following company: The Learning
Machine Limited, Reg Office, 36 Ashby Road, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B79
8AQ. Reg No: 05560797, Registered in England and Wales.

-- 
Unsubscribe instructions: E-mail to discuss+help@documentfoundation.org
Posting guidelines + more: http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Netiquette
List archive: http://listarchives.documentfoundation.org/www/discuss/
All messages sent to this list will be publicly archived and cannot be deleted