Screw Drivers and PDF Files

[Randy McLaughlin]

From: "Tony Duell" <ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
Sent: Friday, June 03, 2005 6:22 PM


>> To decide to not use any particular piece of hardware or software that 
>> can
>> easily and cheaply do a desired job then whine because other people don't
>> bend over backwards to support your wishes for no charge is idiotic.
>
> OK, I am an idiot. You are not the first person to call me that, you
> won't be the last.
>
> IU would agree it's rude to flame somebody because they've not used your
> particular choice of file formats (particularly when their choice is
> commonplace and youts isn't), but IMHO it's not idiotic to decide to do a
> job in a particular way because it's what you consider to be the way you
> most enjoy. Particularly when that job is part of a hobby, which you're
> doing for your own enjoyment anyway.
>
> If I decide it's prefereable to produce my own documentation rather than
> do battle with a modern PC, that's my business.
>
> -tony

I did not call you an idiot what I said and meant is that it is idiot/crazy 
to ask others to create a document that only a tiny percentage of the 
population could do anything with.

All methods of packaging documents have draw-backs, PDF's have the fewest. 
More people can handle the point and click of PDF's than any other format.

Even if PDF's were limited to Windoze the simple concept that the likelyhood 
of the documents being read in the future is worth using it.

I am happy that there are many open source tools that make PDF's available 
to almost 100% of the computing population.  So far I've only heard of three 
people with internet access that have no way of handling PDF's.

PDF's are not the only way of distributing docs, snail mail oriented people 
like Herb Johnson are available to help many.  I am surprised that no one 
has started a small cottage industry and offer to mail printed copies of 
PDF's, there are a couple of people offering to snail mail CD's/DVD's full 
of PDF's.

Most of my PDF's can be downloaded in 30 minutes or less via dial up modems.


Randy
www.s100-manuls.com