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To: Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid>
cc: python-list@python.org, lac@openend.se
From: Laura Creighton <lac@openend.se>
Subject: Re: Can I copy/paste Python code?
In-Reply-To: Message from Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> of "Wed, 22 Jul 2015 14:53:42 -0000." <mooapm$es6$1@reader1.panix.com>
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Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2015 18:53:19 +0200
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In a message of Wed, 22 Jul 2015 14:53:42 -0000, Grant Edwards writes:
>On 2015-07-22, Laura Creighton <lac@openend.se> wrote:
>
>>>The entire purpose of PDF is to prevent people from changing the
>>>format and appearance of documents.
>
>> My problem isn't that I don't understand this, my problem is that I
>> think this is, in nearly all cases, morally the wrong thing to do.
>>
>> So this means that producing a reader that could do exactly what I do
>> is well within the abilities of Adobe.  But people who aren't as
>> technologically sophisticated as I am, or who don't have access to
>> such a person have to suffer.  This is not a tehcnical limitation,
>> but a political one.
>
>OK, so the problem is that apparently people are using PDF when they
>should be using something else (probably one of the e-book formats
>that allow the reader to select font and format -- or maybe just
>text).

This is the standard way for people writing documents using
libreoffice and microsoft word export them to a readership which
cannot be expected to also have libreoffice and microsoft word.

>It's not Adobe's fault.  PDF isn't _supposed_ to allow the reader to
>change the format.  It's the fault of people who are chosing to
>generate PDF documents when they should be using something else.
>Asking for PDF to allow the user to change the way the document looks
>is like asking for gasoline that isn't flammable.
>
>> Have the possibility of unchanging documents for the very rare times
>> when that is wanted and indeed needed, and the rest of the time let
>> the readers look at their docs any way they like.
>
>That's _exactly_ what HTML was supposed to be.  Now it's been broken
>and turned into another PDF by "web designers" who think everybody has
>the exact same monitor, OS, browser, eyes and brain that they have.

Could not agree more.

Laura

>Grant Edwards               grant.b.edwards        Yow! I'm a fuschia bowling
>                                  at               ball somewhere in Brittany
>                              gmail.com