4 ms·

I think its a bad idea to even use the word "Office" because it sounds like a lame rip-off you'd download from CNet. In fact, Im suprised MS doesnt have a legal

I think its a bad idea to even use the word "Office" because it sounds like a lame rip-off you'd download from CNet. In fact, Im suprised MS doesnt have a legal issue with it. Thats always bugged me about a lot of OSS projects and vegan dishes, they pick a name based on their competitor instead of something original that doesn't constantly remind the user they're not quite getting the "real thing".

jkot 10y ago
OpenOffice uses name 'office' for 30 years, 5 longer than MS does. Wiki: > OpenOffice.org originated as StarOffice, a proprietary office suite developed by German company StarDivision from 1985 on. > MS office 1.0 released : November 19, 1990[1] Office 1.0
- ajmurmann 10y ago
  That's not the public perception.
- brewdad 10y ago
  Maybe that's the naming solution then. StarOffice* * The Open and Libre Office Suite Everyone could write it as *Office to save typing. Then users would simply say the full name. "AsteriskOffice" Nevermind....
  - elchief 10y ago
    And maybe rewrite it in C# and call it OctothorpOffice...
    - jasonkostempski 10y ago
      Coctothorp is how I pronounce C# :) That or C++++ because # looks like 4 overlapping +'s which I've always assumed is what they were hinting at.
      - labster 10y ago
        If you pronounce it like that, what will the next version be? We don't have a nonathorp. I've always assumed the next version will be C𝄪 (for those of you who are non-musicians, that's a double sharp symbol).
        Sylos 10y ago
        Your description also helps for musicians whose font just doesn't display that symbol...
  - toyg 10y ago
    StarOffice has never been fully free, and it even clashes with other trademarks in Japan and other Asian countries. It also had an image problem even before it was open sourced, to the point where it was literally given away for free (at a time when MS Office, Lotus etc were printing money). It's a dead brand.
- jasonkostempski 10y ago
  Well then I was totally wrong in this case :) But there are still a lot of instances of software names like that. All things GNU being the worst example, an entire ecosystem tainted with the label "Not Unix".
lallysingh 10y ago
I recall that "Office" was ruled too generic a name to really protect some years ago. Because the bundle is just general stuff you'd use in an office. Also, it's a terrible name that doesn't say anything, except that it's sold for use in an office.
- drostie 10y ago
  Right, the problem is that the generic term for what you're building is an "office suite." It's almost a cliche for these to have had "office" somewhere in the title; I know "WPS Office" is a thing in some places; I remember WordPerfect being bundled with "Borland Office" which I looked up now and apparently it's "WordPerfect Office" these days... and I have a Zoho account and I believe theirs is also called "Zoho Office." I think there was also something called "EasyOffice" once upon a time. Apple as usual bucks the trend with iWork, and Google with Docs. There's an active KDE project called Calligra, too, and half of the academic world just uses a piecemeal built around LaTeX. Those names are different, but they don't necessarily say anything, either. Part of the problem is that there's not a nice simple word to say "simple data-set crunching plus pretty authorship tools for both presentations and long-form documents." These are kind of three very different domains which happen to combine together into reporting information. Perhaps a nice open-source project could be named Rapport due to its community vibe and its linguistic tie to "report", but then again, that sounds like an open-source composition/looping software for anyone looking to spin a sick beat.
SamBam 10y ago
I'm going to try and use this comparison as often as possible now. "One of the things that always bugged me about OSS projects and vegan dishes is the evangelizing of their proponents. "One of the best things about OSS projects and vegan dishes is their excellent documentation."
matt4077 10y ago
That's actually a pretty good description of OpenOffice.
cyphar 10y ago
> Thats always bugged me about a lot of OSS projects and vegan dishes OT: A friend of mine recently called me a "software vegan" because of how much I've started to get passionate about free software. I'm not really sure how to feel about that description yet. :P

jkot 10y ago

OpenOffice uses name 'office' for 30 years, 5 longer than MS does. Wiki: > OpenOffice.org originated as StarOffice, a proprietary office suite developed by German company StarDivision from 1985 on. > MS office 1.0 released : November 19, 1990[1] Office 1.0

ajmurmann 10y ago
That's not the public perception.
brewdad 10y ago
Maybe that's the naming solution then. StarOffice* * The Open and Libre Office Suite Everyone could write it as *Office to save typing. Then users would simply say the full name. "AsteriskOffice" Nevermind....
- elchief 10y ago
  And maybe rewrite it in C# and call it OctothorpOffice...
  - jasonkostempski 10y ago
    Coctothorp is how I pronounce C# :) That or C++++ because # looks like 4 overlapping +'s which I've always assumed is what they were hinting at.
    - labster 10y ago
      If you pronounce it like that, what will the next version be? We don't have a nonathorp. I've always assumed the next version will be C𝄪 (for those of you who are non-musicians, that's a double sharp symbol).
      - Sylos 10y ago
        Your description also helps for musicians whose font just doesn't display that symbol...
- toyg 10y ago
  StarOffice has never been fully free, and it even clashes with other trademarks in Japan and other Asian countries. It also had an image problem even before it was open sourced, to the point where it was literally given away for free (at a time when MS Office, Lotus etc were printing money). It's a dead brand.
jasonkostempski 10y ago
Well then I was totally wrong in this case :) But there are still a lot of instances of software names like that. All things GNU being the worst example, an entire ecosystem tainted with the label "Not Unix".

lallysingh 10y ago

I recall that "Office" was ruled too generic a name to really protect some years ago. Because the bundle is just general stuff you'd use in an office. Also, it's a terrible name that doesn't say anything, except that it's sold for use in an office.

drostie 10y ago
Right, the problem is that the generic term for what you're building is an "office suite." It's almost a cliche for these to have had "office" somewhere in the title; I know "WPS Office" is a thing in some places; I remember WordPerfect being bundled with "Borland Office" which I looked up now and apparently it's "WordPerfect Office" these days... and I have a Zoho account and I believe theirs is also called "Zoho Office." I think there was also something called "EasyOffice" once upon a time. Apple as usual bucks the trend with iWork, and Google with Docs. There's an active KDE project called Calligra, too, and half of the academic world just uses a piecemeal built around LaTeX. Those names are different, but they don't necessarily say anything, either. Part of the problem is that there's not a nice simple word to say "simple data-set crunching plus pretty authorship tools for both presentations and long-form documents." These are kind of three very different domains which happen to combine together into reporting information. Perhaps a nice open-source project could be named Rapport due to its community vibe and its linguistic tie to "report", but then again, that sounds like an open-source composition/looping software for anyone looking to spin a sick beat.

SamBam 10y ago

I'm going to try and use this comparison as often as possible now. "One of the things that always bugged me about OSS projects and vegan dishes is the evangelizing of their proponents. "One of the best things about OSS projects and vegan dishes is their excellent documentation."

matt4077 10y ago

That's actually a pretty good description of OpenOffice.

cyphar 10y ago

> Thats always bugged me about a lot of OSS projects and vegan dishes OT: A friend of mine recently called me a "software vegan" because of how much I've started to get passionate about free software. I'm not really sure how to feel about that description yet. :P