https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=47295

--- Comment #36 from [email protected] <[email protected]> ---
LO version 7.2.1.2

Note: this comment uses “DPS” to mean “Default Paragraph Style”.

In the default template (and the “Modern” template, which I think came bundled
with LO on install), none of the 2nd-level paragraph styles (one level below
the DPS or inheriting directly from DPS) has DPS set as the “Next style”.
However, the Headings style (and the Text Body style) is set by default to have
Text Body as the next style. For people who use the template as-is, this means
that the order of composition of a document will often determine its styling:

1. Users who start by writing a title or heading will likely have Text Body
styled paragraphs for the rest of the document. This outcome is probably
desired.

2. Users who start by writing a few paragraphs and then a heading and then
another paragraph will have a few paragraphs of DPS style and a few of Text
Body style. This outcome is not desired and may cause confusion.


Some principles I think most people would agree with:

A. The default template should not be designed with the assumption that users
will understand the details of style inheritance

B. The order of composition of a document should not determine its styling

C. If the most-commonly-used paragraph styles are set to be followed by Text
Body, the template is pushing Text Body as the main style to use for most
paragraphs

D. Most users who *do* understand the difference between DPS and Text Body
prefer to use Text Body for most text

E. Users who do *not* understand the difference do not care much what style
they use and just want a consistent experience


All of this points to the conclusion that Text Body should be the default style
selected when the Default template and Modern template are used. (A related
issue is that the name “Default Paragraph Style” may confuse users, who will
wonder why LO keeps changing the style after Headings to Text Body. Perhaps
this should be renamed to something like “Master Paragraph Style”.)

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