Walt writes “ Cites & Insights: Crawford at Large 4:10 (August 2004) is now available for downloading.
Due to circumstances beyond my control, the issue is temporarily available at:
http://cical.home.att.net/civ4i10.pdf
It will be added to the permanent site as soon as possible (but will continue to be available at the temporary site).
The 24-page issue, PDF as always, includes:
*Perspective: The Reading Disaster (or Not)
*Bibs & Blather
*The Censorware Chronicles — COPA and more
*Perspective: ALA Conference Comments
*Feedback Special: Following Up on Ebooks
(six good reasons to make people read etext, and more)
*Trends & Quick Takes
*PC Progress, January-July 2004 (which, barring the right feedback, may be the final PC Progress)”
Learning curve for html
What is the easiest way to convert that pdf format to html that people would not have to download it locally and just go to the link to read Walt Crawford there?…
Apparently the learning curve is steep enough to even discourage the author from doing it !
Fairly easy
One could use a pdf to html convertor application such as Source Forge’s pdftohtml.
Alternatively one could wait until you can find it on Google and read it as HTML there as it converts PDF to HTML in search results that return PDF documents.
Adobe also provides a service by email (as well as other ways) to convert PDF files to other formats including HTML or plain text. You may find that service on the Adobe website.
Indeed one does not compose documents in PDF, they are composed in another application and saved as PDF files because PDF files are cross platform compatable – that is they look the same no matter what operating system or computer type on which they are viewed. I frequently convert MS Word or StarOffice documents as PDF files to send them to others. The conversion to PDF also reduces the chance of transporting a virus in an embedded macro in an MS Office document.
However for the most recent issue of Cites & Insights I saved the file locally and then printed it out at my local Kinkos (or KinkosFedEx or whatever it is this week) for 7 cents a page so I could read it while I ate lunch.
Basic HTML is quite easy, but it can become quite complex. I use the most popular HTML editor – notepad :), but there are quite a few available running from the simple to the remarkably complicated. I would suggest, being a librarian, that you get a few good books on HTML such as HTML for Dummies (I don’t like the name but they are good books). On the other hand the O’Reilly books are always good if sometimes more involved, but they have everything the new HTML developer needs.
I think PDF is the best way to reach the widest audeince. It allows users to read it when they are online, as well as allowing the downloading and disconnected reading of Walt’s work. It would be much harder to print out HTML at Kinkos than it is to print the PDF file which took about 2 minutes and cost less than a dollar.
I hope these suggestions help, if not I’ll be happy to mail you my paper copy after I finsh 🙂
Re:Fairly easy
MD: Thanks again for providing a reasoned answer where I might have started ranting. Which I’m going to do anyway, I guess.
Don Warner Saklad has been told many times why C&I is in PDF. He chooses to ignore or reject the reasons, or to substitute his own entitlement, in essence: “I don’t like it in PDF, so even though it’s free I have a right to demand that it be done my way!”
Yes, you have a right to demand; you have a right to demand free champagne every afternoon as well. You just don’t have any reasonable expectation that anyone will do anything about your demands.
You’re welcome to go read other stuff. You are not welcome to keep bugging me, directly or indirectly, on an issue that’s been explained clearly.
Of course I don’t prepare PDF directly (I’m not sure that’s even possible). C&I is prepared in Word, using a template that’s evolved over some time. PDF–using Distiller to make the most compact form possible while retaining my preferred typefaces–is the last step before posting, after copy-fitting and what passes for editing.
As a piece in this issue discusses, if I wanted HTML, I could get an expert HTML conversion done for free: Dorothea Salo, who I suspect knows this stuff cold, has offered.
C&I is designed as a print publication. It uses paper very efficiently (an HTML version would take about 75%-80% more paper in print form). I regard it as far too long to be read on-screen. Those who insist on reading it on-screen can use a number of methods–but it’s their responsibility to take the time & hassle to read C&I in some way other than the manner intended by the publisher/editor.
4 out of 5 librarians surveyed…
I think most librarians, at least most librarians who use the Internet regularly know of Mr. Saklad.
At first I was not going to post, in fact I was going to moderate, but I though a responsive answer might help the original poster, and more importantly others who don’t have Acrobat Reader (even though it is freely available).
I realize that my post may have indeed been wasted on some people, one in particular, but I’m attempting to be more tolerant and helpful to everyone. We’ll see how long that lasts until I turn back to my old self who sees things in black and white, nutjob or normal, digital or analog.
A more descriptive Table of Contents. Insightful.
Table of Contents entries for the interesting material in Cites and Insights, emphasis on insight, need to be more clear about the content !
Stop
I think it has been made clear that your criticism of someone else’s work is not going to change it, especially when many, many others find it just fine.
I regret replying to your inital post in this thread. It shall not happen again.