[tdf-members] Personal: and software freedom.

Board Discuss
#1

Nice, hadn’t seen this. Thanks for pointing it out Lionel. I purchased a license to support it. I like how they’ve framed it as LibreOffice Vanilla vs LibreOffice powered by CIB.

I agree with your other points too Lionel and you’ve communicated it in a way I was looking to in an earlier post. There is definitely a gap in the ability for small businesses and individuals who want to support the project to pay for it. Automation is key. Though I see this CIB option is good for Windows users, but not those that don’t want to use the Microsoft Store.

Personally, in the IT world, I usually ignore the “contact us for pricing” vendors; you have to chat with someone for 30-60 minutes to try to get them to tell you how expensive their software is… it’s easier just to find a competing vendor that has a price calculator on their site.

#2

Hi Kev,

  I havn't had a chance to get back to your rather detailed and
interesting feedback en-mass; but let me respond to just this one
(nearly totally off-topic)
nugget =)

Personally, in the IT world, I usually ignore the "contact us for
pricing" vendors; you have to chat with someone for 30-60 minutes to try
to get them to tell you how expensive their software is.. it's easier
just to find a competing vendor that has a price calculator on their site.

  We tried this at Collabora both ways. As a developer my instinct was
always to be as easy to do business with as possible: public pricing, no
discounts, provide as much information as possible to every inquiry so
that with minimal round-trips people have all the information to make
their own decision without having to interact with or relate to anyone etc.

  I spent my time leaning on professional sales people to tell them that
this is the right way to do business.

  But - you know, it basically doesn't work in the enterprise space (or
perhaps anywhere outside supermarkets selling ultra commodity products
;-). It was an expensive lesson for me to learn.

  Putting less information on our website for example - increased
inquiries (no surprise), and with the friendly conversations that ensued
we managed to explain our proposition, answer any objections and then
sell (and we're not expensive of course).

  What can I say; it's not my preferred approach - but then, if it works
- and that delivers funds we can turn back into LibreOffice improvement:
needs must ...

  ATB,

    Michael.

#3

Hey Michael,

That's fair, I think then what Lionel is saying makes sense. There should be a automated/listed price version for small enterprises and individual users that want support or just to support. Maybe a different vendor would handle this segment of the market with a partnership with Collabora to provide large enterprise /corporate support.

I do wonder what the market spread is for company size. Without evidence but I think there is a large segment that are SMEs that would be willing to pay for tech support if it was less than other office software. WPS Office has a whole business line on selling a $50 annual subscription to their templates.

It is rather off topic but I don't see revenue as separate from the purpose of the marketing plan as it was formulated.

Good luck,
Kevin

#4

Also to add,

Why not call it LibreOffice Vanilla?
There’s no inferences as Community or Personal have that suggest a lesser product. It’s not called Plain, which sounds boring. Partners can sell Libreoffice support with the Libreoffice “powered by” or “engine” (personally engine sounds like it will lead to proprietary plug-ins) branding.

As Florian wrote, if I were at an NGO, school, or some other small business, Vanilla wouldn’t be a discouraging name, but it would be a reminder that I’m using the gratis version with no support. It then allows certified vendors the freedom to do their own branding of LibreOffice.

(This would also solve the mascot issue because LO could have a vanilla tree as mascot which would fit the green theme. I’d like to see Tyson Tan make an anime character out of that.)

#5

Hi

Also to add,

Why not call it LibreOffice Vanilla?

Please don't.

FWIW, vanilla out of the nerd or English-centric bubble is a flavor for
ice cream or sweet dessert. Such name diminish the software, and
everything else that is around LibreOffice out of this bubble.

Regards

#6

I might be hypersensative right now, due to the riots in the United
States, but I suspect every HR department seeking to reduce "hostile
work environment" lawsuits would flat out bar the use of any product
that contained the word "vanilla" in it, due to both its racial, and its
sexual connotations.

jonathon

#7

As a U.S. citizen I find this puzzling... I've never heard the term vanilla to ever be remotely controversial. "Vanilla" is a term most often used to describe something as "boring", which may provoke sexual connotations as much as the word "fun" or "weird" does.

If anything, I find using "vanilla" as a descriptor for blandness objectionable as it diminishes vanilla; it is a rich, distinct flavor!

#8

1) What is being sold as "vanilla ice cream" is white / cream / pale
   yellow. That association is strong in people's mind, so much that
   I've seen several people, on several occasions, in Europe, call
   plain, unflavoured, ice cream "vanilla ice cream".

   If "white hat" or "whitelist" can be controversial, I wouldn't be
   surprised that "white ice cream" (which "vanilla ice cream" is
   equivalent to, in people's minds), would be, too.

2) See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanilla_sex; it does not quite
   mean "boring" in that context, but, well, it is a well established
   expression.

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