RE: PDF to RTF extraction

["Balchunas, John" <JBalchunas -at- orgtek -dot- com>]

Sean,

Very good points.  I was originally very opposed to the idea of sending the
source files, but the points your making are valid.  

My department is trying to avoid setting a precedent for distributing the
source files outside of the department.  We are afraid that by sending the
source files to a few people, we'll be hounded by marketing and other
departments for source files (using the excuse, "Well, you sent source files
to so and so...").

By sending them PDFs, we're able to retain control of the source files.
We're in the process of placing a lot of our package inserts, labeling, and
manuals on a company intranet as PDFs.  It would save us the trouble of
accommodating such requests if national companies could eventually pull the
PDF off the intranet and do what they want with it.  As Sanjay mentioned,
the national companies would be making changes at their own risk, not ours.
The onus would also be on them to maintain the manual they created.

Are my concerns unreasonable?

Any more thoughts very appreciated.

Thanks,

John Balchunas

-----Original Message-----
From: Brierley, Sean [mailto:Sean -at- Quodata -dot- Com]
Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2001 9:47 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: RE: PDF to RTF extraction (Anybody have any experience with
Iceni 's G emini?)


That's very nice but:

1) Either editing the manual is permitted
2) Or editing the manual is not permitted

If 1), then distribute the source files, don't make people jump through PDF
editing hoops. To do the latter is ridiculous, who are you fooling? To do
the latter is a waste of company resources, and deliberately so.

If 2) then distribute the PDF with instructions that none may edit it.

Cheers,

Sean
sean -at- quodata -dot- com

	-----Original Message-----
	From:	Sanjay Srikonda [SMTP:sanjay -dot- srikonda -at- kiodex -dot- com]
	The reasoning behind NOT distributing the actual source is that the
parent
	company can then say that the manual being produced IS the official
release,
	anything used ONLY internally and changed by staff via PDF---->RTF
	conversion is allowable but only at the other division's risk.
Plus, it's
	also up to them (the other division) to maintain an up-to-date
manual that
	they've customized from the PDFs to RTF via their conversion.
Sometimes,
	it's just not very easy to argue that only one version of a manual
should
	exist if you've got a manager over you in another department in a
physically
	separated location saying they'd like to customize the manual for
their own
	use.
	<snip>

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