Why does this option even exist
More often than within the limits of reason, I come across this option: “Subscribe to the PDF version of this site.” Now, indeed, I may be the one completely missing this, as I have never actually clicked on it to see what it does. I’m assuming it downloads the site entries as a PDF? If so, that is the exact thing I don’t get. If not, I still probably won’t get it.
PDFs are terrible to deal with and (depending on size) they can freeze Windows if more than an instant messenger is running. It’s annoying and I try to avoid PDFs at all cost. I definitely won’t intentionally subscribe to one. Maybe it’s one of those “I’ll do this because I can, not because it makes sense” type of thing. And if that’s the case, I can relate; I think I’m habitually guilty of that. Anyway, the point is I’d be surprised if users were downloading the PDF version of a site. Actually, the real point is PDFs suck.
Update: I browsed around to find an example of what I’m talking about… check out the link to the right that says ‘Get the PDF! of this blog’.
Lee Tuesday, 10 Oct, 2006 Posted at 06:49PM
I know it is hard to believe but there is a large world out there of people who live inside pdfs. You almost feel sorry for them. I heard a podcast about a reader that could read pdfs better then Adobe, but I think they were squashed.
Ryan Wednesday, 11 Oct, 2006 Posted at 04:28AM
You’re right, that is hard to believe. I get the whole “universal format” thing, but I don’t know that PDFs are the best alternative to that problem.
Isan Thursday, 13 Sep, 2007 Posted at 07:15PM
They’re oversized, limiting, slow, you have to pay for some of it, Its got no useful features that u cant get free anywhere else, and u need the reader to view it. Its naff and it should go away, but people keep using it >.<