Re: [tdf-discuss] ignore m$ legacy?

On 23/07/2011, Andrew Douglas Pitonyak <andrew@pitonyak.org> wrote:
> On 07/22/2011 10:24 AM, e-letter wrote:
> > On 21/07/2011, Andrew Douglas Pitonyak<andrew@pitonyak.org>  wrote:
> > > On 07/21/2011 08:47 AM, e-letter wrote:
> > > > On 21/07/2011, Andrew Douglas Pitonyak<andrew@pitonyak.org>   wrote
> > > > > I am more comfortable in OOo than I am in MSO, so, I have created many
> > > > > MSO deliverables in OOo and LO. The only time that I make an exception
> > > > > is when I believe that I am not able to seamlessly move between formats
> > > > > because of incompatibilities. So, if I intend to create a large
> > > > > document
> > > > > with multiple images, links, and fields, I begin and end with MSO.
> > > > That is your prerogative, but it is preferable to see writer used to
> > > > create such large documents in the native odt format, at least to
> > > > demonstrate the power of LO.
> > > The problem is that the final deliverable to the client is an MSO
> > > document and the complicated structures that I frequently use do not
> > > properly export to the MSO document format. It is very time consuming to
> > > work through a 250 page document full of cross-references and text
> > > frames that do NOT export to the format required by the client. I lost
> > > many hours fixing up the document in MSO so that it would be ready for
> > > final delivery.
> > In my opinion interoperability with the _m$ format_ weakens increased
> > adoption of the odf. At the start of a 250 page document, ideally the
> > decision should be made to use odt and the issue become ensuring that
> > LO behaviour in native odt format occurs with minimal bugs. This
> > experience alone should promote wider adoption of LO. The claim to
> > offer (or attain to) perfect interoperability with the _m$ format_
> > leads to time wasted trying to get LO to work with m$. If the end
> > requirement is m$, pay to use m$.
>
> If anything, this experience means that LO is less likely to be used
> because if there is a change in requirements and I must generate and
> deliver an MSO document, then I had better not be using LO if the
> document will be sufficiently complex that it will not export well.

In my opinion, nothing wrong with that; if the output required is m$,
go and buy it, don't ask programmers devoting their _free_ time to LO,
just to save people from buying m$ software.

> Even worse, given that MSO has the greatest market share it means that
> most legacy documents use the MSO formats. I knew many people that
> refused to switch from Word Perfect when I told them that OOo would NOT
> read their document archives that they spent years creating.

What is wrong with people using two software, corel for word perfect
legacy documents and LO for new documents? Can't see the difficulty...

> To date, I have seen only one client that requested that an ODF document
> be the final deliverable. As they went around the table trying to figure
> out what experience the large team had with OOo, the best that was there
> was "yeah, heard about it, never used it".
>
> LO does not have sufficient penetration to play like MS to force users
> into staying with LO.

I do not believe this to be true; there is nothing wrong with actively
encouraging the use of the native odf instead of trying to be the
perfect m$ format.

> > The
> > point of the original post, is that priority should be for LO
> > performance in native odf to be better than m$o performance in native
> > m$ format (or indeed secondary odf).
>
> Oh! Ummm, yeah. I think that I was just hit in the head with something
> important and logical. :-)
>
> > It does not seem right that
> > people complain that "writer does not save to m$ format well", when
> > the statement "writer creates beautiful, easily-created odf documents"
> > should be the main reason to use LO.
> Let me add to your statement, because much of it is VERY important.
>
> 1. Many people find the LO interface more intuitive, easy, and obvious
> to use than learning the new MSO interface.

That is good. As usage increases, so should the prevalence of odf
documents, _not_ the prevalence of m$ documents created by LO.

> 2. Most people do NOT write complex documents (think home user that
> writes letters and such) so complex support is not required.

In this case, LO users should be able to send simple documents (e.g.
the sports club newsletter) which can be viewed in the latest m$
software. Those still using old m$ software should be told to either
obtain LO or buy newer m$ that can view odf documents. This is
analogous to receiving m$docx documents.

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