General Discussions

**Truly** · 01-07-2008, 12:38 AM

I think the title speaks for itself. There is nothing i hate more then going to a website or searching for something on google and then when I click the likn a pdf file starts to load.

Its slow, doesnt always load correctly, you cant edit it. Like as a user I cant see one advantage.

Basically Im begging everyone here, dont use pdf.

Thats it, thats my rant of the day.

**ADAM Web Design** · 01-07-2008, 12:44 AM

Depends on what it's being used for. A PDF is useful for documents that need to be downloaded (user manuals, etc.) but for the most part it's not necessary.

**dotservant.com** · 01-07-2008, 01:37 AM

it is handy for people that want to let visitors to print forms, a basic corporate profile etc. that do not want people to modify the content.

Anyway, I don't like pdf either

**tripy** · 01-07-2008, 05:16 AM

It's not the format that is to be blamed, but the reader.
I use foxit reader for month now, and it loads in 1 seconds any pdf until now.
[ http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php ]
And I'd say that the big plus, is that it don't have any browser plugin, and don't hijack my browser content like adobe acrobat.

For me, I won't ever install acrobat reader again.

**BJock** · 01-07-2008, 06:53 AM

Government sites seem to love .pdf files, go figure.

**alan1961** · 01-07-2008, 08:13 AM

pdf files have their uses, I would suggest not to rely on these alone, but provide an alternative format in addition to pdf. The one saving grace about pdf is the security where readers are unable to alter the contents.

**colbyt** · 01-07-2008, 08:48 AM

The only valid use that I can think of is when you have the content in print and you want to put it online quickly and easily.

**joder** · 01-07-2008, 11:28 AM

PDF's are excellent for books and manuals. I choose them to read over HTML.

If you don't like them, don't open them or if you searched on Google, use that link in large text that says something like "View as HMTL".

**ericpang** · 01-07-2008, 12:07 PM

PDF is good for forms and it can fix the content layout. why don't use a downloader to grab the pdf file and open with acrobat reader so you don't need to stare at the monitor and see it slowly show up on screen.

**Learning Newbie** · 01-07-2008, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tripy

For me, I won't ever install acrobat reader again.

Amen to that!

**LadynRed** · 01-07-2008, 02:53 PM

Quote:

you cant edit it.

That is generally the point !
Actually, you CAN, IF the author allows it AND you have a copy of Acrobat (or other PDF editor installed).

PDF's are cross-platform so they are very useful as noted above. We use PDFs for the forms we put on our sites for patients so they can fill them out and take them with them to the dr's office. I could not publish Word documents, not everyone has Word, and other formats like it would be equally problematical.

**cbwm** · 01-08-2008, 06:59 AM

PDFs are busy helping to save our Rainforests and cutting down on green house gases. Anyone who disparage them is clearly a leather soled Republican without a care in the world for the planet on which we live, and should be nailed to a cross right next to George W. Bush.

**joder** · 01-08-2008, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbwm

PDFs are busy helping to save our Rainforests and cutting down on green house gases. Anyone who disparage them is clearly a leather soled Republican without a care in the world for the planet on which we live, and should be nailed to a cross right next to George W. Bush.

Your totally obsessed with Republicans. Is there a thread where you don't talk about it? I've kind of starting to think it's some kind of cult.

**cbwm** · 01-08-2008, 10:03 AM

It's my obsessive compulsive personality. Sorry. Cant be helped. But when he asked about PDFS, I immediately thought of office automation/paperless office projects where PDFs eliminated hundreds of reams of paper being consumed daily. Of course I made the leap that PDF users are tree-huggers... like it or not.

**serandfae** · 01-08-2008, 10:12 AM

Oh, it was funny, lighten up.

It's a Portable Document Format--used for just that, it's just fine, although I wish more government agencies that used them for forms would make them editable. I was able to send a genealogy book long out of print to other folks researching my wife's family by scanning and converting to PDF. It has its uses, but can be overused.

**joder** · 01-08-2008, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbwm

PDFs are busy helping to save our Rainforests and cutting down on green house gases. Anyone who disparage them is clearly a leather soled Republican without a care in the world for the planet on which we live, and should be nailed to a cross right next to George W. Bush.

You want to cut down a tree to make a cross! Your harming the environment!

**Cheshire_cat** · 01-08-2008, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tripy

It's not the format that is to be blamed, but the reader.
I use foxit reader for month now, and it loads in 1 seconds any pdf until now.

I was unaware of this program; I’ll be looking into this.

I have a couple of clients that are constantly putting forms online, Adobe Acrobat saves me a lot of work and time though.

**Learning Newbie** · 01-08-2008, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbwm

PDFs are busy helping to save our Rainforests and cutting down on green house gases. Anyone who disparage them is clearly a leather soled Republican without a care in the world for the planet on which we live, and should be nailed to a cross right next to George W. Bush.

Ahem. Only if the cross is made from recycled paper. And it better be from the New York Times, dangit!

Or Harpers.

**cbwm** · 01-08-2008, 03:54 PM

Exactly! And we could kindle a fire at the base of the crosses with new copies of The Weekly Standard, before they hit the street and pollute correct thinking!

**Monkey Do** · 01-08-2008, 06:08 PM

They're quite handy for legal documents and such that need to be published quickly by people who don't necessarily have skills/capability to produce a more web-friendly format.

As mentioned by previous contributors they also for this reason are used alot by government and official bodies so your content can gain an extra gravitas from the format.

They've been used a few times in my industry over the last year to quickly publish documents that had been destined for oldshchool media like faxes and letters.