Re: Gnome Office updates

[Charles Goodwin <charlie xwt org>]

Dom Lachowicz wrote:

> I'd also like to say that I'm not in favor of an all-inclusive 
> approach. I think that - in order to present a viable, cohesive, and 
> coherent front - we must choose best-of-breed applications.
>
> We should only have one of [Inkscape, Sodipodi]. We should only have 
> one of [Evolution, Balsa, Spruce]. Etc.... 


There's a difference between being all-inclusive and referencing/supporting.

The 'Gnome Office' default apps should all be best of breed, but we 
should encourage futher development of other office applications for Gnome.

> As it stands, we're viewed as a small set of apps that don't exactly 
> fit in together as an office suite. A mess, if you will. If we start 
> adding lots of duplicate apps, apps of (arguably) lesser quality, and 
> apps that have marginal relation to a typical "office suite" package, 
> all we're left with is a bigger mess. 

So we should encourage better collaboration of the small set of apps, 
but also encourage others with an approach of "we'll help and advocate 
you as an office application for Gnome, but not part of the Gnome Office 
suite of applications."

One of the big things about Free Software is motivation.  It's very easy 
to get started, but much hard to progress and complete software.  We 
should take a proactive approach to keeping the development of other 
applications active/

- Charlie