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market-farming - RE: [Market-farming] Sort of OT: Why use .pdf files

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Subject: Market Farming

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  • From: "Rick Williams" <mrfarm AT frontiernet.net>
  • To: "Steve Sando" <steve AT mrlucky.com>, "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [Market-farming] Sort of OT: Why use .pdf files
  • Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2003 19:59:06 -0600

Steve Sando wrote:

> I'm not sure what you're saying. I'm confused! Are we talking about a
> downloaded document (brochure) or a website?

> How is XML going to help with a brochure? What is it you're trying to do
> that you think you need something other than HTML?

We have our brochure in MS Word format which is one of the most common
"standards" for word processed and formatted documents in the U.S. Since XML
is not a proprietary standard this has the ability for file interchange
between disparate OS's and applications.

The document would either be sent out as a word processed document file or
would need to be converted to some other format that the other party can
use. The most common way of displaying a document of this type is a PDF.
However, making a PDF file does require the full Acrobat suite and that
means a fairly stiff cost (Best Buy = $249.00) for the Adobe Acrobat
program, since PDF's are a proprietary format.

> I've been hearing about XML for years. With Web-TV doing as well
> as it is, I
> think it's going to be a long, hard climb, proabably made
> irrelavant by some
> newer technology.

XML is in fact already available in MS Word XP is it not? And Linux is
adopting it due to the non-proprietary nature.

> Now I'm really confused. .doc files are Word files. There are some word
> proecessors that can't open them. Txt and rtf files are much more
> appropriate if you're trying to reach a general audience.

Most of the time the .doc extension means that it is a MS Word file. It
doesn't have to, but that is the convention. When I use the term document
file though, I am not necessarily referring to MS files since it is a
generic term.

The Text Files are of no value for formatting a document since we are unable
to use them to show the layout of our brochure or other highly formatted
document. Rich Text Files are better, but limited since they cannot
duplicate all the nuances of a highly formatted document. MS Word is very
good indeed. The only thing better would be to go to a full blown Desktop
Publishing program.

As you probably are aware, you can even convert MS Word docs to .html files
using MS Word 2000 and later. And apparently the same with MS Word XP able
to work natively with XML files.

In fact, I use MS Word to create the "Paddocks" in my GRAZING NARRATIVE on
my web site. I then save as an html file and bring it into FrontPage.
However, you can not format the doc like you can in MS Word. But you can
continue to use tables in FP or your html editor and make things look sort
of like a more polished formatted doc.

As I explained earlier, with Open Office anyone can have a high quality word
processor these days as long as you have an internet connection or have a
friend with one. The file size is large (50 meg), and in some cases it might
be better to find someone with a broadband connection to download the file
and save it on CD-ROM for you. I have used the product and found it
surprisingly good.

If I did not have a license to use MS Office, believe me, I would not spend
the money to buy the suite anymore. At one time I thought that I would use
Access, the database, but I find that most of my work is done in Word with a
smattering of Excel. I actually teach MS Word 2000 to adults on occasion and
include quite a bit of typography as well. When I was a kid growing up, I
was interested in a lot of things. One of those things was the printing
trades and typography. But it was not on the top of my things-to-do list.

When font technology progressed to the point where average people have the
power of what used to be the domain of specialists, I was a very pleased
person indeed. In fact, I could see that typography was going to be one of
the main benefits of Windows when we finally got to 3.0. Adobe tried to have
a lock on the market with postscript technology but both Apple and MS joined
forces and within 18 months of starting out, were able to develop the
TrueType technology that we have today. And they basically made it free. To
say that John Warnock was apoplectic at the Seybold conference that year is
putting it very mildly:)

Sincerely,

Rick Williams
Misty Ridge Farm
Direct marketed dairy beef and produce
(also dairy heifers and beef stockers)
Viroqua, WI





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