[Libreoffice-bugs] [Bug 134486] UI: Branding: LibreOffice Personal edition

[bugzilla-daemon at bugs.documentfoundation.org]

https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=134486

--- Comment #37 from Telesto <telesto at surfxs.nl> ---
(In reply to Timur from comment #36)
> Much was said by TDF members and users and I think that consensus was
> reached.
> Shall this disastrous, LO anniversary ruining move be reverted?

That's the easy part. However it doesn't solve the fundamental underlying
problem. This didn't come out of nowhere, it's lingering around quite some time
now. LibreOffice being freely available for everyone, but mostly made possible
by - code contributions - of a (few) eco-system partners. With the intention of
making money by selling services. Their 'product' is currently  limited to
services, as the code public and 'LibreOffice' being the brand. 

However, the interest in these services is as good as absent.
Enterprises/business are using LibreOffice without contributing money and/or
code. Reasons enough. They don't care, they don't have to.

>From the perspective of eco-system partners 'free rider' as the assumed they
could make some money of it. Especially in Enterprise environments. So their
business model isn't working

The "Personal edition" is 'intended' to 'cajole' company's into pay for
Enterprise edition or something like that.  

It's a conflict between ideals and reality. The eco-system partner are giving
the code away for free, without the (expected) returns. This can't go on for
ever. Money needs to be generated by the eco-system partners (and/or TDF) to
keep LibreOffice afloat/alive. LibreOffice is lost without the eco-system
partners contributing (or in another model TDF hiring eco-system partners or
TDF hiring a number of developers). However, if TDF increases spending to pay
the bills of people involved professionally.. how does TDF generate that kind
of money? Donations are unreliable, I assume.

So the key question seems to be: how can LibreOffice be monetized, while
respecting the ideals.

A good read:
https://listarchives.documentfoundation.org/www/board-discuss/msg04591.html

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