This is nothing to do with MS Office vs LibreOffice. It is to do with whole spreadsheet vs database debate.
Normal users like spreadsheets, because you can start with a blank spreadsheet, add stuff by typing, or copy/paste, and produce useable results straight away. Spreadsheets are also very extensible - an average user can do amazing things with a few formulas, which are relatively easy to understand. Databases - whether Access or Base - are not easy to create from scratch. Normal users do not like databases, as they are complex and restrictive, and take too much setting up before you can get anything useful out. We all have to accept that spreadsheets will always be 'abused' when a database may be more appropriate, until someone invents a whole new database-spreadsheet hybrid. cheers, Chris ____________________________________________________________ Chris Morgan Software Manager Lynx Information Systems Ltd Tel: +44 (0)20 8780 2634 Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.lynxinfo.co.uk ____________________________________________________________ On 06/02/2012 15:37, e-letter wrote:
Readers, There was an interesting discussion which seemed to be about using accounting principles/conventions with computer software. Clearly the original poster forgot to dispense with traditional thought processes and think critically about how new tools (first the computer, then more specifically open source software) offers the opportunity to develop new methods for solving problems. We read the all-too-common scenario: an m$ fan wanting to use LO as an m$ clone without learning anything new or assessing whether there is a better way of doing things. As always, such people want open source software users to help them for free. Please reconsider and revert to using m$; the fact that the problem was solved using m$ proves this option. m$ users, please take the time to do your homework, research the alternatives before asking for open source software to adopt the same behaviour, mentality and sometimes inefficient process to performing tasks as m$. The example of organising identical data types into multiple spreadsheets is so common, primarily because the average "office" personnel is not introduced (nor willing to accept) to the power of databases. Realistically, we cannot expect someone due to retire soon to suddenly change, but the next generation should be encouraged to be open minded to using new ideas. By the way, thank you for the hyperlink to the data pilot functions, but should this type of functionality be performed by learning how to use relational database queries?
------------------------------------------------------------ Incoming and outgoing emails are checked for viruses by Sophos AntiVirus. This email may contain confidential information which is intended for the named recipient(s) only. Â If you are not the named recipient you should not take any action in relation to this email, other than to notify us that you have received it in error. Lynx Information Systems Ltd 93-99 Upper Richmond Rd London SW15 2TG United Kingdom Web: http://www.lynxinfo.co.uk Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)20 8780 2634 Fax: +44 (0)20 8780 0931 Registered in England Number 2454130 VAT Number GB 561 8979 88 ------------------------------------------------------------ -- For unsubscribe instructions e-mail to: [email protected] Problems? http://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/mailing-lists/how-to-unsubscribe/ Posting guidelines + more: http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Netiquette List archive: http://listarchives.libreoffice.org/global/users/ All messages sent to this list will be publicly archived and cannot be deleted
