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If Oracle has any desire to popularize ODF, this is about the dumbest thing they could possibly do. It doesn't even seem likely to result in much short-term pro
by Zak 17y ago
If Oracle has any desire to popularize ODF, this is about the dumbest thing they could possibly do. It doesn't even seem likely to result in much short-term profit.
- andrewf 17y agoRandom guess #1: If some Oracle insiders are saying "we don't care about ODF, and this makes us no money - kill it," other insiders who want to save the plugin may respond with "people want this, sell it!" as a delaying tactic. Expect the plugin to die in six months after nobody buys it. Random guess #2: Sun already had some contracts that require it to support this plugin for some time, but Oracle doesn't truly want to encourage further adoption.
- rbanffy 17y agoMy guess: some VP decide this could be a way to reach his targets. Any company must be acutely aware of execs sacrificing long-term survival for a quick buck. Not that I think the ODF plugin is important for Oracle's survival, but, if left unchecked, this kind of attitude is very, very dangerous.
- Kadin 17y agoYeah, whether they mean it to be or not, this could easily be the kiss of death for ODF. Now, if you save in Word's native format, you have to buy a copy of Word (which is a sunk cost to most people anyway). But if you use ODF, you have to pay for Word plus $90 for a plugin. Whatever theoretical advantages ODF might offer, it's not going to be $90/user worth to most people, or worth using OpenOffice instead of Word. Too bad; it was a neat idea while it lasted.