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List:       koffice
Subject:    KOffice Design Contest?!? [LONG]
From:       Nils Holland <nils () nightcastleproductions ! org>
Date:       2001-07-05 22:16:58
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Hi folks,

this message has not very much to do with the development of KOffice. That 
said, you may stop reading now. However, probably you will decide to stay 
with me to listen to this thing that's been on my mind for quite some time.

Well, ok, let's start: The current state of KOffice suggests that the whole 
package has really improved a lot over KOffice 1.0. Therefore, I believe that 
the final release of this new KOffice, known as 1.1, will be a big step 
forward for KDE becomming a *real* alternative on the desktop. Yes, free 
software has always been about hacking, but there are a lot of people out 
there that don't care about such technical things, but simply want to get 
their work done using their computer. While I'd never want to miss these 
truly open hacking-experiences that I have found in Linux and KDE, I still 
believe that KDE, along with KOffice, is finally a big step forward in 
meeting the needs of those who just want to work with their computers. In 
fact, since we're talking about open source software, every person can decide 
for themselves if they just want to use the software, or if they want to 
learn how it actually works and possibly even get involved with the 
development.

Oops, I let myself get carried away. Now, what I really wanted to say is the 
following: After the release of KOffice 1.1, it's probably time to promote 
KOffice a little bit. Why not show the world that we can really compete with 
Microsoft Office?

How can we accomplish that? Well, I remember the days when I was using a 
Commodore 64. Shortly after MS had released Windows for the PC, a company 
called Berkeley Softworks released a graphical user environment called GEOS 
for the C64. The German distributor of GEOS was also the publisher of the 
biggest C64-related magazine in Germany, and that magazine ran a kind of 
"GEOS design contest". Basically, users were asked to use their creativity 
and try to create some really stunning documents using their good old 8-Bit 
computers. Indeed, some of the results that were later published in the 
magazine looked as good (or even better) than what one could accomplish with 
a $2000 PC.

While these days are long gone (and we're not trying to prove that one kind 
of computer can compete with another, but that an open source office suite 
can compete with the "king" of office suites), I think that the same could be 
done with KOffice. Why not start some kind of contest in which users can use 
any KOffice program and, along with their creativity, use it to create 
something great-looking? No matter if it's a KWord document, a presentation 
in KPresenter, or a document made with K*llustrator?

The best of these documents submitted by users could then be put on the 
KOffice website for everyone to see. That way, we'd end up with a bunch of 
really cool examples of what KOffice can do. Too often have I heard that one 
"needs MS Office for serious and good-looking work" - now, let's prove that 
KOffice can keep up with that!

What do you think? This "contest" should probably be started when KOffice 1.1 
is being released - and unlike the computer magazine mentioned above, we're 
not going to offer a price, but only the possibility to get "famous" by being 
mentioned on the KOffice website.

Of course, someone would have to coordinate the whole thing. While the 
developers out there probably have better things to do, I'd be willing to do 
that. I'd gladly have a look at the submissions from the users, and then we'd 
need some kind of jury to decide what's best...

Since it's still some time until the KOffice 1.1 release, no further planning 
is required at this time. However, I've been thinking about this thing for 
quite some time, and so I thought I'd bring it up here and ask for comments. 
So ... any comments anybody out there?

Greetings
Nils

-- 
----------------------------------------------------------
Nils Holland - nils@nightcastleproductions.org
NightCastle Productions - Linux in Tiddische, Germany
http://www.nightcastleproductions.org
"Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance - 
I hope you dance!"
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