On Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:42:49 -0400
Came this utterance formulated by H.S. to my mailbox:

> Girard Aquino wrote:
> > David B Teague wrote:
> >> NoOp wrote:
> >>> On 03/18/2009 08:07 AM, Harold Fuchs wrote:
> >>>  
> >>>> http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/article5929716.ece
> >>>>
> >>>>     
> >>>
> >>> Yes I saw that... one can only hope that OOo doesn't disapear into
> >Lotus>> Symphony (which works ok and has it's place I suppose in some
> >>> environments).
> >>>
> >>>   
> >> In the past, IBM has supported FOSS, bu that was mostly Linux, but
> >> they might continue to support OO.o. We can only hope.
> >>

Past? - in the past? IBM are implementing Linux on most of their
supercomputers (which run steroid pumped PS3 style chips):
http://www.top500.org/stats/list/32/osfam
They have a high number of programmers working on the Linux Kernel
itself:
http://www.sdtimes.com/RED_HAT_TOPS_LIST_OF_CORPORATE_LINUX_CODE_CONTRIBUTORS/About_LINUX_and_OPENSOURCE_and_CANONICAL_and_REDHAT/32870
IBM contribute directly to OO.o code although they had concerns about
the developer copyright agreement:
2006-02
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-6039161-7.html
2007-09
http://www.openoffice.org/press/ibm_press_release.html

> >>
> > and would OOo development cease then?
> 

No but if Sun and IBM programmers were withdrawn development would slow
considerably. Both IBM and sun have projects that are intrinsically tied
to OO.o. I would be far more interested in finding out which of these
projects would be merged/dropped - but no amount of conjecture would
prevent that being a crystal ball gazing exercise at this stage.

> I do not think so. OOo is distributed under an open source license and
> can be forked.
> 

It would not need to be forked, government of OO.o is by a committee
with an unstated ammount of independance from Sun - though Sun employees
are IMHO dominant throughout the organisation:
http://council.openoffice.org/  
I would expect if this thread continues in the vain it has we will get
an email from a Sun or council employee stating how intrinsically tied
the council is. But i see no need for reassurance as to the ongoing
nature of the project.

I invite all to keep asking their questions on this issue (perhaps it is
more appropriate on the discussion list where it would not be OT) but to
still be wary of FUD alarmists raising uneducated conjecture.

-- 
Michael

All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall
be well

 - Julian of Norwich 1342 - 1416

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected]
For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]

Reply via email to