Contemplating the possible retirement of Apache OpenOffice

Jim, I am not in any way involved with either AOO or LO, but there is something where you have unrealistic hopes instead of seeing what might actually be realistic.

Your suggestion to turn AOO into a framework or library in the linked mailing list discussion ends with the following:

> With these 2 changes, as obvious olive branches, I think we will see all players in the OO development eco-system be willing contributors to the new project. And this will give the new project a new lease on life.

If the only way to give AOO a new lease on life would be LO developers joining it, then AOO would definitely be dead.
No matter what you do, the LO developers won't come to rescue AOO.

What advantages does AOO have compared to LO, and for whom?

The main advantage of AOO over LO you state is:

> Even if AOO had not done 1 single release, the donation of the codebase *and the relicensing of said codebase to the ALv2* has been a *significant* plus to the open office ecosystem. This has allowed the other players in the game to have true IP provenance, as well as the ability to relicense things

Who are the other players in the game, in your ecosystem, today?

If LO would be the only other player in your ecosystem today, that would prove that your thoughts regarding the benefits of the ALv2 license compared to the licensing of LO would not be as relevant as you thought. In that case it would also be hard to see any benefits in AOO not being retired.

If there are other players in the AOO ecosystem who prefer AOO over LO for licensing reasons, they are the ones you have to talk to. If companies in the AOO ecosystem do not want to use LO for IP provenance and licensing reasons, it should be easy for you to convince them to join forces and sponsor the development work required to give AOO a new lease on life.