That seems like a start! Thanks for sending the feedback. Isn't Germany in
general fairly receptive to Free Software?
Eĉ guto malgranda...
Thank you very much for your support and participation against DRM! :)
If they reply back and question what is the problem exactly, tell them
that the true cause of the problem is the usage of DRM. This is
important because otherwise they might think that it's only a matter of
"software
You could try to convert it with calibre to some other format (maybe even pdf
to pdf).
I remember when I ordered a book in pdf format, it has DRM. So i could open
it only with Adobe's reader, limited times. I found a python script that
removes that DRM from you pdf, and yes I could open my bought pdf times I
wanted with any pdf reader.
I suggest to tell them that we already know the problem: DRM. This is
not a question of which software is used, this is a question of the very
existance of DRM in that document.
PDFs are great, provided they are made without DRM and that they are in
the PDF/A-1 standard, so I would suggest them
The DAAD has sent me a swift reply. Here is my translation:
--
Dear Mr. [my name]
Unfortunately the person responsible for the DAAD web portal is on vacation
leave. However, I can assure you that we are always eager to provide forms
for all web browsers and operating systems. Why it
Sehr toll!
Thanks for your comments and suggestions!
Especially onpon4's, ADFENO's and strypey's points made me reconsider my role
in this software issue and I decided to write to the technical support team.
You will find a translation of my inquiry below.
Please note that I'm not in the US and I'm
Fighting fire with fire just burns the forest down even faster.
Or put another way, just because someone else started it does not mean it is
smart for you to continue it.
A day I bought a DRMed book, that really got me fckd. I remember that I
unshitted the book by running some python script. So, DRM in pdf is
breckable.
The confrontation and harshness began with the question asking why you didn't
"just" use someone else's computer, as if it's OK for others to impose
burdens and one should just put up with it.
At the very least, the person who BEGAN that tone should be made to realize
how they sound, by
Indeed, the suggestions I gave might be unrealistic depending on
peoples' context.
Thankfully, as others have pointed out, you don't have to install
non-free software in order to do it, because you can borrow others'
computers to do it. But, as others suggested, make sure to tell the
provider of
I wonder if they are aware of the issue at all. It seems they take it for
granted that Adobe's offerings are the only way to go.
I think they should be told that there are people out there who cannot access
their grants on other systems.
Anatom, we help identify problems like these by being users of a 100% free
software distro. A user of an OS that hacks around these problems by
compromising with unnecessary, externally-imposed demands for proprietary
software would never realize that the problem exists. I understand that
It might be worth getting in touch with the Code.gov team, and ask if they
can get permission to modify grants.gov so it works sanely regardless of the
OS being used. A process like applying for government funding should never
require a person to use the proprietary product of one company,
It occured to me that I meant to use a less judgmental wording:
"ADFENO, I think your suggestion to drop the application unless the
organization "cooperates" is a little /unrealistic/ in my context."
> XFA is a proprietary format for PDF forms, but it has nothing to do with
DRM.
Yes... and it also has nothing to do with the problem:
> there is only an empty page with a note that Adobe Reader is necessary in
order to view the document.
This is what happens when a PDF is encumbered with
In my experience, documents with XFA forms usually work in Okular. They give
a warning, but you can still fill in the forms, though they can't be saved in
the document (Okular stores them in its dotfiles). I just print to PDF from
Okular, which generally works fine.
> However, I am not a developer but a medical doctor and also a medical
communications researcher. I neither have the resources nor the knowledge to
engage in the fight as some of you have suggested.
The libre software movement is never going to get anywhere if the only people
who work
Thank you, everyone, for your swift replies and support in this issue.
I have chosen not to fight for software freedom. I appreciate the Trisquel
project and I feel honored to use the software some of you guys provide.
(That's the reason why I am a member.) However, I am not a developer but
> So the proper response to the question above is to immediately ask why the
person didn't "just" use free software and/or a non-DRM'd file, instead of
imposing unjust restrictions and hassles on other people.
This is a confrontational response, not particularly likely to be productive,
I'm in the US and routinely apply for grants through grants.gov, since almost
all federal funding agencies (except the NSF, as far as I know) use it. In my
experience there is no other way but to use adobe reader. So i boot into
windows and do it there. If enough of us complain, especially
"If they ask why you didn't "just" use this other person's computer to fill
out the forms, tell them that you refuse to send DRM-encumbered files out of
principle, and secondarily (if this is true) that this would hardly have made
the job easier anyway."
I really think the burden should be
Onpon4's suggestion works too, and I also second the suggestion to
describe in every detail complaining to the sender of that PDF file and
showing how much burden they made you go through --- provided you are
indeed going to use such burdensome way. :)
That's DRM. It's not possible to open it with libre software.
You should complain to whoever sent that to you. In the complaint, explain
that you had to do the following (and this is what I'd suggest you do):
1. Find someone else who uses a computer with Adobe Reader on it. Ask them to
That's indeed a difficult case to solve. I hope some free/libre software
can support XFA forms (either by volunteer work, or by development made
by people hired to implement such feature). If someone knows a reader
that supports these forms, please reply to this topic.
I don't know much about PDF
Hello everybody!
For my application for scientific funding I need to view and edit a PDF
document that apparently is designed for Adobe Reader only. I have saved a
local copy and opened the document with the following readers:
- Evince
- xpdf
- qpdfview
- gv
- MuPDF
- Okular
With all of
28 matches
Mail list logo
