Dennis, Everything about the UKB was new to me, including net publishing, so I experimented with a range of options, PDF being one.
I had a liking for PDF, since I could control the formatting more and also I personally quite like to download a PDF - it's a freebie and also they build to form a searchable desktop database (which I have had success with - since trading info is so thinly spread and often recycled I find it efficient to get some quick hits via searching ebooks). I did some homework and had no trouble finding reliable free word to PDF convertors (they act as a psuedo printer). I have some links from that searching if you need them (I wouldn't have got them all though). I personally thought that posting a summary of the content, as the UKB page, with the copy attached as a PDF link was a good option (IMO the summary should contain all of the keywords needed for portals, like google, to index the page (web indexers don't search through attached PDF's). (the negative is that visitors won't open an attachment as often as they will read a webpage). I was keen on adding a TOC to my PDF's and that is where it came unstuck. I tried the best of the PDF clones - my pick was: http://www.nitropdf.com/ It claims to be capable of indexing the PDF but I couldn't get it to work. In the end I was faced with buying some Adobe software but I didn't want the price tag, or the maintenance, just for a one off use (the UKB). >From there, I changed over to using Word, with a TOC (I left a couple of examples of that approach behind FTR). In the end, as I gained some experience, I changed around to preferring the pages ( the only limit there is my skill levels and/or the arm wrestling with WordPress etc e.g. an HTML index of the content of a page is easily achievable in any everyday HTML editor and probably WordPress if I could be bothered to learn it). Anyway, I am heading in a different direction as my next post will show. cheers, brian_z > As far as the UKB postings, I have thought about this also. My > approach will be to generate my material as a stand alone PDF > document and then provide a link to the PDF or other files that are > uploaded. The PDF will be formatted for printability. Then some > screenshots or text as a summary only will be put on the UKB for > direct reading. I did some of that with my first post. I don't know > how pervasive it has become, but my web browser (Safari) displays PDF > files as easily as HTML files. I am sure that this will increasingly > become the standard capability over time. If the vehicle of the UKB > changes in the future, the PDF files will not be affected. I also > have a lot more freedom in the presentation layout and can work > WYSIWYG with my Pages word processor locally (like I did with my > Flexible Parameters document that was emailed to this list a short > time back). > > While I would have preferred to have something a bit easier to work > with, like the easy way AFLs can be uploaded to the AFL Library (zero > learning curve), I believe the organizational structure of the UKB is > the best place we have right now to place pointers to information so > that people can find it or refer to it. > > Best regards, > Dennis Brown > The K-ratio file is on this site because the UKB was offline when I > first posted it - it is not a political statement. > > If I do post more, on this and related subjects, I am now unlikely to > use the UKB as the vehicle - that isn't a political statement either. > > I am just considering my own creative well being and like all artists > I prefer having control of my canvas/workspace. > > I am likely to continue occassional posting to the > Data/DatabaseManagement categories at the UKB and move my original > stats work elsewhere (I haven't made a final decision yet). --- In [email protected], "brian_z111" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I'm having a break from writing for the UKB. > > When Tomasz started it I told him I would write X amount in the period > up to the end of year 2007 - it was my payback to him for unbelievable > support. > > So, I went beyond that but now I am not certain that I want to continue. > > I like the coummunity spirit and internet compact, where we share free > stuff with each other, but I find that publishing requires ongoing > commitment to keeping up with additional software (if only I could > publish hassle free). > > Although I feel the UKB is a success it is a problem for me that more > authors haven't come forward to sustain the opening effort. > > IMO the WordPress software, structure of the site, need to sign a legal > for etc are holding the site back, and turning away authors, but AFAIK > Tomasz is unlikely to make any changes there. > > I am looking at other software/sites where I might set up a NFP site on > my own, or as a joint open effort with other AB users, as I do have > more stuff (some I have started). > > Anyway, I dropped a dictionary on my PC tower and killed it (some UKB > articles on it were not backed up - if it is a hard drive issue they > may not be recovered) so it will be a while before I publish anything > anywhere. > > Thanks to Tomasz, Herman, Fred and Dennis for UKB collaboration, > especially Herman, who is a one in a million guy. > > Thanks to the forum for seeing me through my forum/publishing > adoslescence. > > brian_z >
