The following lines were recently posted the CANCHID:

> Self-Description: "Beginning July 1997 NCDS will distribute our working
> papers online free. All you have to do is download them onto your
> computer and print them out. Documents are in Adobe PDF (Portable
> Document Format). The Adobe Acrobat Reader (free) program is required
> to view and print NCDS online publications after downloading."

I recently participated in a conference on academic electronic publishing
and one message that rang loud and clear is that we should try to avoid
using formats (including PDF) that limit access and are not user friendly.


While it is true that the Acrobat Reader is free to download, the use of
PDF files has several shortcomings and really only one advantage. That
advantage is a document which has a 'lovely and faithful' format. The
disadvantages are (a) the need for high speed access - download the Reader
and the PDFfiles, (b) a high speed machine and adequate disk space,
(c) the 'right' printer to reproduce the document, and (d) last but not
least - one does not have the document - one only has a 'picture' of the
document. One cannot 'cut-and'paste- bits of it for other legitimate
uses.

On the other hand, it takes fewer resources if the document is in plain
HTML (web hypertext) or plain ASCII. It takes fewer resources if graphics
are only 'thumbnail' pictures in the document - linked to the full
graphic. This puts control in the hands of the user - they can get what
they want. With Lynx (text based reader for web sites - soon to handle
'frames') and 'web-to-email' gateways, any HTML/SGML document can be
accessed, read, and used by all.

The choice here is between going with open standards, maximizing access
and control in the hands of the users, and using privately owned
commercial standards that restrict access and reduce the usefulness to the
end user.

I too was unduely impressed by the ability of PDF files to print lovely
pages on my printer until I begain to work through the implications of
private file formates vs. adherence to open standards. The corporate
sector is free (within limits) to do things they way it wants. The market
is the test there. Universities have a higher mission to which we must
answer. As Canadian universities move to better occupy this electronic
venue - as part of Canada's educational workspace, I hope they reflect on
some of these issues.

Sam Lanfranco CANCHID ListMgt

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  Sam Lanfranco, c/o CERLAC                     email: [log in to unmask]
  240YL, York University            http://www.yorku.ca/research/dkproj
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  Sam Lanfranco                              email:[log in to unmask]
  Senior Program Specialist                URL: http://www.bellanet.org
  Bellanet International Secretariat       Tel.: +1-613-236-6163 x.2263
  c/o IDRC, Ottawa CANADA K1G 3H9                  Fax: +1-613-238-7230
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