Re: [tdf-discuss] Re: [Libreoffice] Proposal to join Apache OpenOffice

Hi, 


Am Samstag, den 04.06.2011, 01:30 -0600 schrieb Tor Lillqvist:
> > So here is my suggestion: I propose the everyone here head over to the
> > Apache Incubator and join the proposal as an initial member.  
>
> Well, at least for me the problem is:
>
> I *work* on LibreOffice.

although I am not a real contributor to LibreOffice so that my decisions
do not make a difference here are some of my thoughts from a completely
different perspective.

I am not paid by anyone in this field, I have no interested in going
that road, I have no business around Office Suites, do not offer
trainings or am engaged in any consulting.

So every minute I spend on LibreOffice is because of fun with no hard
revenue in sight and if it is for fun at least for me it is important
with whom to work together.

Do I trust the TDF/SC? uff, kind of 
Do I trust the ASF? absolutely
Do I trust Novell/RedHat/Canonical/.. a bit
Do I trust IBM? ...
Do I trust Oracle? absolutely not

The nice thing about the LGPL and copyleft is that it lowers the need
for trusting the other involved parties.

As I have no history with the OO.o project, I may not be correct, but I
miss IBMs enthusiastic approach to a free software office suite
extending what they need to develop symphony on that base. I guess they
could have released a lot of patches under the apache license if they
were just reluctant to the LGPL. So I have some doubts that the level
between what to put in the core office, the new apache openoffice, and
what to keep only for their closed source product on top of it is much
in favor of the apache part.

And I feel like it is not only important what the actual situation is
(an ASF incubator proposal) but even more so how it got there. The
situation would have been totally different for me if the OO.o community
council would have approached the ASF and made this proposal and after
that Oracle would have agreed and IBM hopped in. This would have been
community driven. This smells like some corporate business plan with a
nice apache painting.

The situation now is that Oracle and IBM did some deal behind closed
doors, where I am pretty sure their arguments and expectations to decide
going to the ASF are not identical with what is written on the ASF wiki.
Although this is the unfortunate situation that you can hardly prove it
the one way or the other.

So for me to join the proposal feels like becoming one of the worst paid
IBM employees.

But whatever, the ball is already rolling and everything will go the way
it has to go. We will see the result in some months/years.

And yeah, everyone will decide different depending on who pays him, what
if any personal business interests he has in the office field, his
political/ideological vision or just his gut feeling. Nothing wrong with
that and nothing to try to change or influence.

Regards,
Michael


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