On Thu Jan 06 2011 15:00:11 GMT-0800 (PST) NoOp wrote:
On 01/04/2011 09:18 AM, Robert Derman wrote:
Gordon Burgess-Parker wrote:
...
How do we propagate knowledge that OO exists?
Frankly, I suspect that at least 50% of the general public is not aware
that Open Source exists! I think that shareware made a bad name for
free software and since that time much of the public has simply ignored
ALL free software. Also, I don't recall ever seeing anything about OOo
or any other free software except perhaps FireFox in the mass media. A
story on the evening national TV news, and everyone or nearly everyone,
would be aware of it. Or if Oracle would run a couple of national TV
adds once 3.3 is released, then people would be aware of it. If Larry
really wanted to get Steve B. that would be one sure way to do it.
Oracle has the deep pockets that Sun never did, and I think the right
kind of advertising campaign might just do it. Like for instance,
Oracle saying that they didn't think that people should have to spend a
lot of money to have a quality Word Processing program or spreadsheet
etc., on their home computer, so thanks to them, here it is as a FREE
download. This could create an enormous amount of good will and brand
recognition for Oracle, and would likely increase the sales of their
profit making products.
Probably the best opportunity for this would be the Oracle Racing
America's Cup campaign. Oracle Racing/Golden Gate Yacht Club/Ellison et
al have chosen San Francisco for the 2013 races. It is suggested that
this will generate more than 8,000 jobs & 1.2 Billion USD for the San
Francisco economy.[1] That of course doesn't include all of the jobs &
revenue that the competing teams will spend between and the AC.
Ellison, San Francisco, Oracle Racing should open the project right and
request that all documentation, spreadsheets, etc., etc. use open
standards ODF software for proposals, budget spreadsheets, etc., and
files will not be accepted in proprietary formats (ala .docx .xlsx etc).
That should include all correspondence and the like from contenders,
contractors, event organizers, support teams, and the like.
In doing that I pretty well guarantee that by the time the AC is held,
OpenOffice.org/Oracle Office/LibO, etc., will be pretty common. Of
course that won't stop M$ from submitting the same files in ODF, but if
literally thousands of M$Office users associated with AC have to save,
receive, and transmit in that format, I reckon that they'll quickly
learn to accept that as the standard rather than OOXML.
Just a thought...
Good idea, now if someone with some "Power" behind them would suggest it. :)
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