[Vorbis] .ogg extension and Theora

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From: "Paul Ellis" <public at ellisfoundation.com>

> Do you really think most people know what video they are really
> playing?  I would venture to guess that most people only know a video is

Many don't, no.

Many do, however.  For example, they realize that Divx is better than
mpeg-1.  They may not know why, but they can see it and have learned.  (And
how do they know Divx... because it usually says so in the file description
or in the filename.  And because the Divx decoder adds the divx logo when it
plays the file.)

I was trying to think of a way to avoid the whole AVI mess.  Where you have
to guess what codec is going to be needed.  Using an already existing
extension used by DivX didn't sound like a good way to seperate Theora from
Divx.

But as I've said many times, that started as just a "thinking out loud"
message.


> If anyone wants to check ask a non-geek friend of yours to open a video
> player and see what happens.  I'm blown away when I tell my Dad (in his

Not every computer user is like that.  Yes, many are.  No question about it.
But the majority do have more experience with it and understand things
better.

They may not understand as much as us, but they've figured out a few things.


> Anyway, the point is that average users know very little, and that is
> all we can expect out of them.  Changing their computer to work with

Those kinds of 'average users' aren't really the target for Vorbis or
Theora.  They will probably never encounter either format.

They probably use Windows Media Player because it came pre-installed on
their computer when they bought it from "Dude, you bought a Dell!"  They
probably still get tickled when they log into AOL and it says "You've got
mail!".  And they probably actually read the spam they get and seriously
wonder whether they need to buy the product or send money to that poor
fellow in Nigeria.

The reality is that most of those stupid people are probably so stupid about
computers they will never be involved in a .ogg file, a vorbis audio file,
or a Theora video file.  So it doesn't really matter.

But for the millions of people who are smart enough to use a web browser, or
use a p2p program, etc., then those people do matter.  And they can figure
out a few things.


> some identifying program is as hard for them as changing oil in a car is
> for most people.  Sure it's really easy, maybe 5-steps, but if you don't
> know how to do it, you wouldn't even know where to start.

[shrug]  In the case of a special ogg video format, that'll be taken care of
when they install the player or the codec.  Then they wont have to think
about it.



> What would we gain in switching to .oga?  Nothing. I want Ogg, Vorbis,

Very little.  I didn't say we would or should.  The message I was replying
to said that.  I was just pointing out that if Xiph really did want to make
ogg generic and change it to .oga, it would be possible.

If they had done that in the beginning, it might be better than it is now,
but they didn't.  And there's not much point in doing it now.


> Now if Monty, Segher, or any of the other
> hackers involved are in the 1% then maybe things should be different.

They do seem to be in the 1% who feel that users should be deleriously happy
with a single file extension.