On 6/23/2011 5:16 PM, Nino Novak wrote:
On Thursday, 23. June 2011 20:29:38 Gary Schnabl wrote:
On 6/23/2011 1:44 PM, Nino Novak wrote:
On Thursday, 23. June 2011 18:53:12 Gary Schnabl wrote:
On 6/23/2011 12:44 PM, Nino Novak wrote:
Hi Gary,
On Thursday, 23. June 2011 18:35:27 Gary Schnabl wrote:
Therefore, I suggest that every OOo/LO PDF file be so converted
by Adobe Acrobat Professional afterward, prior to release so
that OOo/LO users will have that extra functionality.
What purpose do you want this functionality for?
...
It seems foolish not to so enable them for the Comment and
Review function, considering its ease to do so with no added
cost or real time and effort...
But for what purpose?
Nino
DUH! For any users wanting to add any highlighting and such--a
thing typically done by millions of students and others over the
past few decades on their printed material and books by (usually
yellow-colored) magic markers.
Sorry, Gary, for my ignorance ;-)
I myself have never had the idea to use PDF and highlight something
therein, so I just did not know / could not imagine that this is
done by so many people today. I remember how happy we have been
some decades ago when PDF was "invented" and everybody could read
a document with the same layout all over the world. So I just did
not recognize the interactive capabilities of PDF today.
That highlighting functionality can
also be done now electronically on PDFs (as it is commonly done on
such converted PDFs) and even carried over to printed hard copy,
if users so desire to print them out afterward.
In addition to highlighting, editorial comments and the like by
users could also be added directly to the PDF documents, among
other capabilities.
From these facts I'd say: There is a grain of truth in your
arguments
;-)
But - however - I'd still say, if "we" provide a User Manual, then
we do this for one reason: to enable more users to use our
software in a better way. So primary goal is to attract/ enable/
empower /educate software users. If some of them really want to
highlight the manual or enter comments, ok, maybe. But this is too
far from the original purpose in my humble eyes. So it might be
good to offer it as a service from someone who believes it makes
the difference. But not for "us", who are offering primarily the
"core services". Just like many Extensions are built by "external"
persons. However, if they really provide a substantial surplus,
then people will love them and call for integration into core. So
the way to go is, at least for the moment, find someone to
implement the functionality, offer it publicly, and wait :-)
Nino
GM (whose HQ is five miles from here...) sells vehicles that they
build and equip some of them with options, some (most?) of which
they do not manufacture themselves. Most buyers prefer having
options being available (especially if they are thrown it at no
extra cost), even though they may not use them, right away. OnStar
is one of them that was used so much that GM bought the company that
made it.
sure ;-)
But we are not GM, however. If we could take money and initiate a
project, this would be fine.
But all we can do is be so attractive that volunteers deliberately
spring in and do the necessary work.
So while GM has to pay regard mainly to the external market, we have to
sell our ideas even to our "internal" fellows. This works partly by
sparking enthusiasm in their hearts. But it works better by just doing
it oneself and giving the result back to the community (if it is
successfull, of course).
So finally, why don't you "just do it" yourself?
Nino
Duh! I did that--while I was making my lunch today: downloaded the
Writer UG PDF from the LO site, enabled it with Acrobat, and test ran it
with Adobe Reader. Time spent: Less than ten minutes, including time for
posting emails, cooking, eating, a phone call, etc.
My point is some LO personnel should put aside any biases with regard to
restrictive tendencies to avoid using proprietary software and the like.
I realize that open-source exclusivity is nearly akin to be like a
religion, for a few...
Late in my work career, I spent a few years teaching at both public and
private K-12 schools in metro Detroit. Many of the brighter,
college-oriented kids would, on their own, employ their magic markers
for highlighting items in their books or other printed documents, much
the same that we did decades earlier--both at school and afterward.
Highlighting is actually very common; otherwise firms would not sell
billions of Sharpies and the like.
But now, PDF editing/reviewing functionality can be effortlessly
imparted to any and all PDFs, once enabled by a simple, one-time
conversion by Acrobat for use for anybody with the ubiquitous Adobe
Reader afterward.
Gary
--
Gary Schnabl
Southwest Detroit, two miles NORTH! of Canada--Windsor, that is...
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