[10435] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: increasing use of the .PDF format
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Peter Graham, RUL)
Mon Jul 22 20:27:29 1996
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 1996 18:43:41 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Peter Graham, RUL" <psgraham@rci.rutgers.edu>
In-Reply-To: Your message of Fri, 19 Jul 1996 12:59:45 -0500 (CDT)
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
Reply-To: "Peter Graham, RUL" <psgraham@rci.rutgers.edu>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
It's amusing to see Michael Hart talking of the "elitism" of the .pdf format
vis-a-vis ascii while using electronic means, which are available to so few
people in the world and even in the US only to a large but relatively
privileged segment. As usual MH's sense of proportion is absent, not to
mention his technical knowledge base. I gather his institutional base is
constricting as well, to little surprise.
MH's view of a "utilitarian" upgrade to ascii (as opposed to an "elitist"one)
is adding boldface and italic capabilities; in other words, continuing to
force print modes on a wholly new environment. Rather like in
the automobile age being concerned for water availability at every roadside
service area, when in fact cars are out there whizzing by on the interstates
only topping up with radiator solution every few months. Peddling
antifreeze is no doubt elitist for everyone with a car built before
1950.
On the net, we need textual tools for searching, for publishing, for
reading in attractive form, for authenticating content, for archiving
and for analysis. Ascii is the least useful of tools for any of
these, and .pdf is one (less than perfect) tool in a battery of
developing tools for making electronic use of text possible and fruitful.
As usual, I invite MH to comment substantively on these points, which
for the past five years he has evaded. --pg
NOTE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS: psgraham@rci.rutgers.edu Peter Graham
Rutgers University Libraries <URL:http://aultnis.rutgers.edu/pghome.html>
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