The open-source faithful are lambasting a proposed overhaul of OpenOffice.org's user interface, with critics saying it would "ape" Microsoft Office's controversial Ribbon layout.
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Anybody up to writing good directory software?
Tue, 2007-02-20 11:17 — David JonathanSince the very beginning, directories (of any kind) have had a very central role in the internet. (I have recently grown fond of Free Web Directory. Even Slashdot can be considered a directory: a collection of great news and invaluable user-generated comments. As far as software is concerned, doing a quick search on Google about software directories will return the free (as in freedom) software directories like Savannah, SourceForge, Freshmeat and so on, followed by shareware and freeware sites such as FileBuzz, PCWin Download Center and All Freeware (great if you're looking for shareware and freeware, but definitely less comprehensive than their free-as-in-freedom counterparts).
Is better education the key to finding better software?
Sat, 2007-03-03 03:25 — Edward RusselI read David Jonathon's article Anybody Up To Writing Good Directory Software? the other day, which got me thinking about software directories in general. As David mentioned, many of the software directories one finds when doing a quick google search are free as in beer, not as in freedom. But what interests me is the software directories that already exist, providing a combination of both free as in beer software, and open source software. Sites such as Freeware Downloads and Shareware Download don't advertise themselves as providing free as in liberty software, but each of them have a good selection of open source software available... if you know where to look.
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Ubuntu87
2 years 40 weeks 6 days 56 min ago
This is important.
The OOo development team should know that by copying Microsoft's stuff, they are betraying Free Software by the following:
1. Proving MS's big fat lie that Free Software is weak and is only good at copying other people's technologies.
2. Placing Free Software in the shooting range of MS's IP lawsuits.
3. They are basically not making OOo an original innovative effort which will only push more people away from it.
And I personally believe that a huge petition against this is urgently needed here.
aboutblank
2 years 40 weeks 4 days 17 hours ago
Overdramatic
I think you (and other people that share your view) are being overdramatic.
1. Only ignorant people would believe such an assertion as "Free Software is weak and is only good at copying other people's technologies". I say, let them be. They have a poor attitude that needs changing anyway.
2. Really? This is a strong assertion. Where is the evidence? Can you link the act of deriving inspiration from a well known program with being "in the shooting range of MS's IP lawsuits"?
3. I think people are being ignorant here. People are seeing patterns of similarity but there isn't anything concrete at the moment. Slamming the redesign simply on the toolbar redesign "is a bit unfair," McCreesh wrote in an e-mail. "Yes, one of the elements of the new design was a new toolbar, which reminded people of the Microsoft Ribbon. Not really surprising, in that using tabs like this is pretty common in UIs, e.g. on web sites."
You may be right in that more people will be pushed away from using OO.o, that sort of thing happens with major changes in any system.
Ubuntu87
2 years 40 weeks 4 days 3 hours ago
Wow..
Wow, this is very surprising.
I still can't believe there are still people out there as naive as you are. (no offense)
Didn't you hear about all those threats MS keeps raising every once and then that they are about to sue Linux? Haven't you heard of the many IP lawsuits MS shoved in the faces of known Linux/FOSS-supporting companies like Tomtom? And after all that, you still come around saying we are being "overdramatic"?
You know what? Okay, if you want it that way, I am being overdramatic. Oh, and guess what? I'm proud of that.
Well, at least it's much better than being "underdramatic"!
Bottomline, copying Microsoft's technology is not, never was, and never will be of any benefit to Free Software. In fact it will only give Microsoft a chance to choke Free Software through Patents and IP, and will also give Microsoft an argument to show to other companies about the lack of original innovative thinking in Free Software, which will: a) Strengthen Microsoft's marketing edge, and b) Cripple the efforts of converting more big companies -and firms- to Free Software (in otherwords: It might severely hurt the Free Software ecosystem -turning us into mere followers -and copycats- instead of serious innovators-).