On 9/20/05, Randomthots <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Exactly. It seems to me that these decisions should be based on more > pragmatic arguments. Particularly, What have users of office suites come > to expect? and What is do-able given the existing infrastructure and > resources? > > > > > The fact (opposed to the philosophy) is that OOo already *does* include > an > > HTML editor - one that sucks. It needs to be fixed. Whether that fixing > > comes by rewriting the exisiting code, tweaking the existing code, or > > removing the exisitng code and adding a pre-existing outside source of > code, > > like Nvu or something, is up for debate. But the question of whether or > not > > an HTML editor should be included is moot. It should because it is. > > And because it's expected by the end users in a corporate environment. > There is real productivity value in having these different components > that have the same look-and-feel, the same nomenclature, similar menu > layouts, etc. UI consistency makes learning to use the different > components much easier. > > > > OpenOffice.org does not need to be a programming software suite with > editors > > for Perl and Ruby and Python and CGI and C++ and all this other coding > > stuff. > > That's what emacs is for, which, by the way, those of you who need and > like it are welcome to it. It's a terrible general word processor, but a > damn fine tool for coding.
Exactly. +1 OOo is not a programming tool - it's an office suite. There is a difference. HTML is less about programming (emacs) and more about creating content. Blogger is an example of this. Thousands of people creating tons and tons of web (HTML) content without ever coding a thing. > What OOo does need to add are things like a DTP program, a bitmap editor, > > and include a "OOo-skinned" version of Firefox and Thunderbird (at least > as > > an optional download) that is formatted (with extensions and/or plug-ins > for > > both OOo and Ff/Tb) to work together directly - (so like an Email this > > document button that opens Thunderbird, or a preview my webpage button > that > > opens Firefox.) > > +1 <snip> Now, Chad, I'm on YOUR side. I realize that, Rod. It's just I want to nip the philosophical debate about the definition of the word "is" and all the flavors of meaning of an office suite and the endless banter of "OOo is NOT an MS clone." vs "I know, but MS does somethings right." vs "Who cares about MS, what should OOo be doing, regardless of MS." (The later of which is my personal opinion, but that doesn't really matter.) But before we discuss the addition of entire components to the suite, my > vote would be for addressing some long-standing inadequacies to the > basic functioning. +1 there, but I'd want to qualify that OOo's HTML component is one bug ol bug that needs to be fixed. Let me explain what I mean. I just got back from a conference of web developers, and all but the very noobish ones said that they code all their HTML and PHP by hand. They said the WYSIWYG stuff is for non-developers (and I would hardily agree.) However, non-developers are making a huge impact on what the internet is all about. The biggest and easiest example of that is the Blogosphere. How many tens if not hundreds of thousands of people now have a voice online without knowing what <p></p> does or means? To stay current (read *AHEAD* of Microsoft) we need a functional, working, easy-to-use, standards-compliant, WYSIWYG HTML editor. Not Nvu. Nvu breaks a lot of code. Not Frontpage - good Lord, please nothing like Frontpage! Something like Blogger.com <http://Blogger.com>. Something with a simple set of about 10 - 15 buttons like Bold, Italics, Underline, Bullets, Listing, Alignments (left, center, right, justify), Increase font, decrease font, color, insert graphic, link, and spell check. Add in some basic tabling abillity, and you're all set. Just my $0.02 worth (BTW, when did the "cent" symbol disappear from > keyboards? Where did it used to be?) I've wondered that myself. I don't know where it used to be, but I wish I had it. It may have been were the @ is now. And, of course, the @ is more important. But we could get rid of the useless ones like ` and ~ . Some day soon (and it's already started happening) you'll be able to make up your own keyboard layout. -Chad Smith
