It's pretty after midnight local time here, so a last answer for
today...
> ... [Offering enhanced PDF Manuals]
> So finally, why don't you "just do it" yourself?
Duh! I did that--while I was making my lunch today: downloaded the
Writer UG PDF from the LO site, enabled it with Acrobat, and test ran
it with Adobe Reader. Time spent: Less than ten minutes, including
time for posting emails, cooking, eating, a phone call, etc.
No, I meant, why don't you offer the service yourself?
You did one conversion, ok - but for the service you need to
- explore legal issues
- set up a work flow
- "market" the enhanced version
- offer them on a appropriate website
- ensure at least as well es possible that the service will be continued
when you are ill, unwilling or whatever
...
(might be I'm overseeing parts, so pls bare with me)
So, there's much more work to do than to just prototypically show that
it's possible.
My point is some LO personnel should put aside any biases with regard
to restrictive tendencies to avoid using proprietary software and
the like. I realize that open-source exclusivity is nearly akin to
be like a religion, for a few...
But a major goal of Free + Open Source Software is to give people more
personal freedom. So why do you think they "should put aside biases" -
if they just "use" their freedom they are offered by FLOSS philosphy.
Here, they are allowed to use whatever tool they want, so - let them
enjoy doing so.
You might be right that indeed some people behave kind of rather
fundamentalistic. But - that's their choice. If you want them to behave
differently the only thing is to argue and "sell" them your ideas.
And indeed, that's what you are doing, so if nobody bites into the lure,
it might be the wrong moment, not enough persuasing arguments, the wrong
people, or I don't know what else.
Try again later?
Choose a different audience?
Do it yourself? (I mean the whole thing, not just showing that it works
in principle)
Late in my work career, I spent a few years teaching at both public
and private K-12 schools in metro Detroit. Many of the brighter,
college-oriented kids would, on their own, employ their magic
markers for highlighting items in their books or other printed
documents, much the same that we did decades earlier--both at school
and afterward. Highlighting is actually very common; otherwise firms
would not sell billions of Sharpies and the like.
Ok, so your experience predestinates you to speak in favor of offering
enhanced PDF, but still you have to persuade people here to follow your
argumentation.
But now, PDF editing/reviewing functionality can be effortlessly
imparted to any and all PDFs, once enabled by a simple, one-time
conversion by Acrobat for use for anybody with the ubiquitous Adobe
Reader afterward.
Yes, I see the point that it might be an - let's say - interesting
possibility.
But speaking fo myself personnaly, I'm contributing to this project here
just because I enjoy doing things I love and decide myself to do. So I
might have catched up with your idea and helping you to propagate it.
But alas, I haven't.
For whatever reason - I just haven't.
It's not attractive enough for me to put energy into it. Not even a
small amount (as testing the enhanced PDF).
This is absolutely not meant to offend you or to discredit your opinion
or intention - in no way.
But it is just not attractive enough for me to catch fire. At least not
at the moment.
And, obviously it did not attract many other people either.
Now (if you did not receive tens of private mails speaking in favor of
your idea) I'd say, well - did not work this time, with this audience,
with these arguments - so let's try later. Or a slightly different idea.
Or with new arguments. Or what else.
But it's up to you, how you decide. That's freedom
Nino
definitely falling asleep in a few moments