Re: Gnome Office updates

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

[I've reoredered bits of the previous conversation, hopefully my
regrouping will make sense]

> > Eye of Gnome - www.gnome.org/gnome-office/eog.shtml
> Already a part of the GNOME Desktop & Developer platform

I thought EOG was rather incongruous too, graphics applications should
probably be trying to form their own Cabal, Posse, Contingent, Group,
Secret Society, whatever :P

> > Inkscape (fork of SodiPodi) - www.inkscape.org

I really like Inkscape a lot, as soon as they have another release with a
few changes to distinguish it from Sodipodi I'd love to help promote it.

But I cant help thinking that InkScape and CinePaint (which also is moving
towards C++) or perhaps the GIMP, might move to create a 'Graphics Suite'
or something analogous the Adobe Creative Suite.

> > gThumb - gthumb.sf.net
> Very nifty app, much like Thumbsplus and lview from the Windows world.
> Similiar in ways to Ettore's pet project F-Spot:
> http://perazzoli.org/blog.php
> http://perazzoli.org/photo-popup.php3?image=f-spot-2003-11-17-948x638.png

still graphics ...

> > Sketch - sketch.sf.net
> Another vector graphics editor, development seems slow.

again vector graphics.




> > Evolution - evolution.ximian.com

I see Evolution more as a communications applications but given that we
have to LookOut! for what other Office Suites have done it seems
reasonable to encourage Evolution to join in with Gnome-Office for the
near term.

> > Galeon - galeon.sf.net
> Epiphany fills this spot and is a part of the GNOME Desktop & Developer
> platform

Good point.

> > Gimp - www.gimp.org

> Of course the Gimp is the best raster graphics editor on linux, but it
> seems that they want to keep there relationship to GNOME fairly loose.

Waiting for consent before promoting an open source application
is a bit of a road block.
Gnome Office is a powerful brand and it is a good to let users know
about other applications that might interst them but I think there is a
some consensus that core Gnome-Office applications should be those
applictions willing to follow the HIG (or work within the framework
to change the HIG) and do their best to stick to time based releases.

> > gLabels - glabels.sf.net
> Very nifty app, but contains functionality that would hopefully be part
> of AbiWord some day IMHO

I was thinking that gLabels might better align itself with Passepartout
and focus on the Desktop Publishing Area, but that is only a suggestion
(personally I'd like to see freedesktop.org and other interoperability
efforts makes more advances so that I can use Scribus and have it quietly
blend in with my Gnome/GTK applications).

> Passepartout, a Gtk DTP application:
> http://www.stacken.kth.se/project/pptout/


> Should Gnome Office include an instant messenger application?

I think that it would dilute the focus of Gnome-Office too far and there
might be potention for a Communications/PIM grouping with Evolution,
Instant messaging and Palmtop utilities (and to have Evolution in both).


> I think one of the biggest misconceptions that some developers have
> about _being_ a GNOME app or a part of GNOME/GNOME Office, is that it
> requires one's application to have all sorts of dependencies on GNOME.

This is such a fantastically salient point that it inspired me to respond
and to try and use as many big words as possible.  Abiword provides both a
GTK and Gnome version which I'm convinced has help keep it open to the
widest possible audience and onl a few days ago I had a FluxBox user
whinging at me at how Evolution used so many Gnome dependecies.

I am sure that as I occasionally use KDE/Qt applications there must be
many people who want to use Gnome/GTK applications without being burdened
by a tonne of dependancies.

> Of course it is nice to see people using GNOME libraries where it makes
> sense, it really (is|should be) more about integration, and
> consistency(the HIG/Using GTK).

Hear, hear!

> If I've said anything incorrect, or just plain stupid feel free to
> correct me/bitch slap me ... ;)

I thoroughly agree, but if you like being slapped I'm willing to oblige :)

> Cheers
> -stro

(nice work with gnomedesktop.org by the way)

Sincerely

Alan Horkan
http://advogato.org/person/AlanHorkan/