Isn't just awkward that you use a different app? How do you explain?

Does this actually cause compatibility issues? If not, no need to explain

"I use Libre Office"

"I use _____ ______"

"Hey, I never liked Office 365, Microsoft as a company and all the Cloud shenanigans... And have you noticed how their products all become shittier and more invasive by the day? All while they increase subscription price each year now to finance all the AI stuff I rarely use? I'm a long-term fan of this other product, called XYZ which is just better in every aspect. No offense. If you want me to send you a link..."

(Edit: It'll become easier after a while. At some point they all know you're a Linux nerd and disassembled your wifi router at home, dishwasher... To get rid of proprietary spy components. And people will deliberately decide to listen to your opinion and lengthy rant, or make an effort to not bring up the topic 😆 At that point, you're relatively free to speak your mind... Just read the room a bit. The goal isn't to annoy people.)

If the colleague is provoking you, a dismissal answer could be a good call, like (hypothetical case) "you use iPhone and I use Android and I don't make a fuss about it".

But if the awkwardness question is something your colleagues asked, and/or they're genuine curious why you do, a more objective answer could be "I compared the two and for the reasons x / y / z, I decided to use LibreOffice / Linux stuff instead".

I use Libre Office. It runs faster than word.

"I use LibreOffice Writer and other Linux apps". There, simple as that.

If they ask why and show a more actual concerned interest, I usually mention Microslop history of privacy invasions and history of deliberate incompatibilities in Office, and recommend a few links documenting that stuff as well as some legal hot waters Microslop has gotten into.

My usual experience with non-computer people is that they really couldn't care less and glaze over at any discussion of software choices what so ever. I've given up even trying to tell them for the most part. If you're not required to use specific software by your employer (thankfully I'm not), then just use what you want and nobody will care, at least in my experience.

"MS Office with its integrated spyware and other anti-features doesn't meet basic security and data protection requirements so I use LibreOffice"

Linux apps run faster than Windows bloatware I think lol

I think that will really help if you really need to explain lol. Yeah, tell them you're a nerd, that's why!

Hehe. It depends a bit on the social group. But most people will be aware of it before I even open my mouth... Dunno, maybe it's the long hair, or Debian t-shirt or something like that. But I rarely have to (verbally) disclose the fact I'm a nerd 😉 There's some danger of confusion with the metalheads, but you know, people can fulfill several stereotypes simultaneously, so... confusion avoided...

What, do i need a reason? Why do you use fitness app X and not Y?

Why would they even need to know? You can save it in .docx if you need to share it with someone.

I didn't use Linux in college, but I did use many FOSS tools. LibreOffice is easily my favorite office suite and there's no contest. So long as you export your documents as .PDF or submit them as .DOCX, nobody is likely to know or even care what you used to type them.

This is likely to be similar for other types of software- as long as your finished product is compatible and looks good on the proprietary software, you shouldn't run into any issues.

BTW, the university had student access for Microsoft Office. I could have chosen to use their tools at any time and I simply chose not to.

I don't owe my co-workers any explanation.

"Moral issues" or "to leave a better tomorrow" for the ppl I don't wish to talk to all that much (or just can't have a proper convo with them).

While I love and still use LibreOffice, there are sometimes slight compatibility/formatting issues between documents made in .docx on LO and MO. We have TS users at work and MS broke the function of TS install requiring all users to be licensed, so and LibreOffice. Sometimes users get weird issues with formulas not translating in spreadsheets and same with visual basic, so in those instances, I've had to create a 2nd file and rewrite those VB code.

I also FWD myself my resume and open at work so I can ensure my own stuff looks good in either format/program. I have noticed the latest version of Office supports .ODF extensions, which is pretty cool

They'll never understand unless you SHOW them, not tell them: they need to understand through their eyes, not their ears.

_ /\ _

I teach, so trying to adjust old ppts for lecture got a little weird because it turned the bulletpoints into mailboxes, and equation formulas are done completely differently so libre just makes them uneditable (a picture?).

When things got wonky in lecture though I managed just fine. My students are much worse, they open shit in non-MS apps all the time (.notes for takehome exams, or like, keynote, whatever) and fuck up formatting all the time, often without even realizing it. (I do provide PDF alternatives at least). Explaining I use libre really easy in that case, lol.

Why would it be awkward? Most non-technical people are so thrown by my white-text-on-black desktop theme that they can't even tell what software I'm using, and the few technical people around know that I have Opinions about software and aren't interested in talking about it. Keeping everything adequately compatible with the company-issued software is my problem.

Just shit on Microsoft they'll probably find common ground in that

Literally no one will care. Just make sure that your documents works well for them.

then have them slowly realize over time that you're not just going to bullshit around but actually find and incorporate viable alternatives into your workflow, even if some steps will be inconvenient, and have them feel that something like that is now expected of them and slowly start avoiding you or subconsciously marking you as extremist and feeling the need to defend MS in front of you on behalf of "but most people...".

yeah, that's the sweet spot.

I don't use Libre Office, but regardless, I give absolutely zero shits what other people think.

Do NOT tell anybody in the office that you use Libre Office.
If you do, you will be blamed for every problem anyone encounters.

Font size looks incorrect - Carl's fault for using libre office to edit the file (even though you never worked on that project at all).

Paper jamb in the printer - Carl's fault for printing a document from that weird libre office program.

I got fired for saying something racist on twitter - Carl's fault for using that weirdo libre shit.

"Ewww, Windowsssss!"

Pinch my nose, spray my fingers with hand sanitizer, then walk away from their desk.

For work, I have a work computer with a build on it provided by work.

If your work is letting/having you use something different, then explanations shouldn't be needed. If youre doing this on your own, that may be a problem.

Second this. People who don't understand tech blame anything that's different for their problems even if unrelated.

this was my thought.

This. I use LibreOffice at home and M365 at work. It's definitely not 1:1 compatible like most people say. That's not to bash on LO, it's just the reality of it.

I still swear by Excel. While Calc is fine for essential spreadsheets, I run a VM just for Excel because there's no alternative for the advanced tools.

Good to know about the odf extension though. That's a good improvement.

At my work, anybody can have Windows, Mac, or Linux. Each have an approved set of software that they can use. If it's not on the approved list, and it's something freely available and gets regular security updates, it's usually not a problem to get it on the list.

I don't have to explain to my co-workers what software I use. Most of the time, it's cloud-based or web-based and universal, anyway.

It also has the bonus that is one file has an issue, it doesn't lock up and crash every single other open document in different instances across excel, word, powerpoint, everything lol

Can second this. After becoming the tech person of my household most issues are now "my fault" I dont really mind in my situation but if it was the entire workplace, not good.

It is the superior choice, doesn't have ads, doesn't try to sell you shit, it never updates without your permission, it doesn't spy on you, it doesn't sell your data, it is the superior choice, and penguins be cute.

The better question asked is:

How do they explain to you that they don't?

This isn't isolated to tech and is how bigotry persists

I practically never need to. I'll find a way to make things work one way or another.

I don't.

You don't. Enjoy better, faster and more effective software and laugh when their shot breaks.

I use LO for all my Office Suite needs. When I have to share with someone that uses MSO, I just run it through Only Office, see if it keeps the way I want to share it, and call it a day. Also, I make sure I have all the MS fonts installed.

I would never tell them how I do stuff unprompted. If they ask I'll vaguely tell them because I suck at lying but no specifics.

I was asked by a friend of the family why I had to "mod" everything, "You make it all so it doesn't work right!"

...because "working right" in this day and age is a privacy nightmare, a security disaster, and relinquishing your rights, duh! Then I asked her how much the lawyer cost to understand what she's agreeing to in all the EULAs of services she's signed up for just to make things "work right".

I often work in several excels at once, I almost cry every time I have to undo something in a worksheet I haven't made changes to in a while

You have a point. I think just don't tell them lol

I think you can also export your files using .PDF format.

"Oh yeah, I use that too."

I use it because it works for me.

Depends on how long you've been working. After some amount of time like a year or two you can drop it into a conversation when helping a person "oh, I actually use libre office so I'm not sure where MS put that, let me check" and if they want more info they'll ask. Sometimes they might be surprised that you can actually do this stuff on Linux.

Thanks to the behaviour of the American Government the past year, it has become really easy. Everybody suddenly understand and respect the argument of boycotting american products and software.