[thelist] pdfs on web site (was "scope of work" for web site proposal)

[Steven Streight]

Martha, my belief is that people, users, customers generally want to do and
read things right on the web site. They tend to  prefer to watch a video on
an embed player, not go to another site to watch it, then have to return to
your site. There are exceptions, but this is a good rule.

Same with PDF files. A web site needs to make functions and info available
right there, without adding special plugins to your browser, or changing
screen resolution, or opening up Adobe Reader and dealing with what may be
an alien or difficult interface. At any rate, it's a very different
interface, and certain tasks, like copy and paste, and direct linking, are
impossible or hard to do.

Most web users expect to interact with text, like copy and paste it, to
refactor it, or to point their audience to, like their blog readers for
example. You cannot point or link to a specific part of a PDF in the
web-normed manner.


-- 
Steven Streight aka Vaspers the Grate
Web Usability. Blog Revolution. Ecommerce.

steven [dot] streight [at] gmail [dot] com

http://www.vaspersthegrate.blogspot.com