SBA: Reassigned to Bettina from the User Experience team for consideration.

.

open a new document and switch to online-layout.
Use File|Templates -> save to save as a template
Use File|Templates -> organize and select the template you just created, make it
the standard template (using the commands-button or the kontext-menu)

-> New documents will open using "online layout".

Since very easy workaround exists (one time task) lowering priority.

I vote against making online-layout the overall default. (default for new
installations) And IIRC the handling/creation of standard-templates is reworked,
this RFE may be obsolete...

OpenOffice.org Issue Tracker - Feedback Request.

The Issue you raised has the status 'New' pending further action, but has not
been updated within the last 4 years. Please consider re-testing with one of the
latest versions of OOo, as the problem(s) may have already been addressed.
Either use the recent stable version: http://download.openoffice.org/index.html
or consider trying the new OOo 3 BETA (still in testing):
http://download.openoffice.org/3.0beta/
 
Please report back the outcome so this Issue may be Closed or Progressed as
necessary - otherwise it may be Resolved as Invalid in the future. You may also
wish to search for (and note) any duplicates of this Issue that may have
advanced further by checking the Issue Tracker:
http://www.openoffice.org/issues/query.cgi
 
Many thanks,
Andrew
 
Cleaning-up and Closing old Issues as part of:
~ The Grand Bug Squash, pre v3 ~
http://marketing.openoffice.org/3.0/announcementbeta.html

To grep the issues easier via "requirements" I put the issues currently lying on
my owner to the owner "requirements".