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tim
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Really getting into it |
Location: UK, West of London in Ber...
Registered: February 2002
Messages: 842
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I wil lsoon, thanks to outside help, be experimenting by placing an Adobe Acrobat created version of Chris and Nigel on the site.
It is not small. Half a Megabyte.
I could place it as a zip file, which means that people wilhave to download it, or as a pdf file, which will allow it to be opened on the site per se.
To be fair I am not sure if I should do it at all. Often downloads over dialup lines stop for no real reason half way or less through a large file.
When I do it, I will do it in such a way that it can be monitored. I may put each of the zip file, and the pdf file up, and compare the uptake, while also giving people a chance to express opinions about it in a poll.
I decided against a pure HTML file, though I can do that easily enough without help, simply because of the download stopping and aggravating the crap out of peole half way through.
I wouldn't mind your comments, pre posting the files, though. Specifically, "is it a good or a bad idea"
Tell you what, start threads for NO and YES and let's see
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marc
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Needs to get a life! |
Registered: March 2003
Messages: 4729
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Why????? Can we not read it from your website????? I don't realy see the point of having to do a download for what is readily available.
Just my opinion... for what it's worth...
Marc
Life is great for me... Most of the time... But then I meet people online... Very few are real friends... Many say they are but know nothing of what it means... Some say they are, but are so shallow...
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tim
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Really getting into it |
Location: UK, West of London in Ber...
Registered: February 2002
Messages: 842
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CLICK HERE to be taken to the poll. To heck with threads! Let's use a statistical method! 
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warren c. e. austin
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Likes it here |
Location: Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 247
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Great idea!
Everyone should be clear on this concept.
It should also be stated up-front: I have a vested interest, as creator of the file in question, therefore will not vote, although this has been done with no intent to profit from my having done so. The file was initially prepraed as a "thank you" to TIM in my appreciation of his having written the story in the first place, and my desire to present him with a seemingly "published" copy of his work.
There are many pros and cons surrounding the Adobe Acrobat PDF Digital-format.
CONS
File size
Although in this instance, each Chapter - converted to simple ascii-text (right-click on file name, select "SaveAs" Text) - varies in size of between 16Kb and 48Kb, taken in toto they use somewhat more disk resources that the combined PDF file; similarly the present HTML when saved to disk has each Chapter varying between 23Kb and 52Kb in size.
Download Time
Again a variable; the Browser automatically loads the existing file representing each individual Chapter into memory, doing this by first writing the file in it's entirety to the hard-disk cache; the smaller file-size based on a per-Chapter view makes for a shorter download; this is an issue depending on the nature of any given user's connection to the internet; we all regardless of our connection have experienced broken or interrupted downloads - the smaller the file-size the less troubling this is.
The download size of the PDF Digital format file is 497Kb.
Unless wrapped inside of a Zip-file or other such enabling utility, PDF Digital-format files usally download directly to the Browser cache, and subsequently open on-line, just as the normal HTML- or test-file would do, but as in this case the file represents all Chapters of Book 1 at one and the same time, the download time is that much longer when loading into cache and then memory.
Using the Zip-file wrapper to forestall the opening of the PDF file in the Browser whilst on line adds about another 20Kb to the file size.
Not everyone has either Adobe's Acrobat "Reader" or a Zip-file utility. These can be resolved with on-page links directly to both Adobe's Acrobat Reader "Free" download site and PKWare's similar page for PKZip, or ssome other alternate such as WinZip.
PROS
Near "Hard-bound" published quality, polish and finish to the manuscript.
This actually being the basis for my preparing it in the first place, after reading that Tim desired to have his story published in print. I submitted the file to him hoping firstly that he would like to see his name on what for all pretense and purposes was a "published" representation or the entire Book 1, and secondly with the thought that he might "post" the file allowing his visitors to download the file and enjoy having the entire Book 1 at hand for their viewing and reading pleasure.
Scalable text-font, and page-size on demand, for easy viewing and reading.
The PDF being discussed here has been prepared using the AGaramond Font which is variation of a universally accepted printers font of many years long-standing, pleasing to the eye, and suitable for those with vision disabilities. The font has been included in the file, therefore it does not have to be present on any given user's system for them to view the manuscript as prepared. The file size of the PDF could be reduced at creation if I were to choose an alternative font, one of the many that are widely used on systems everywhere such as Arial, but the overall "published" polish would be suffer for the substitution and the sake of about 30Kb of file-size.
No need to be on-line to either continue reading, reviewing or annotating the story.
Granted the HTML- or text-files could be saved, but intitally only as individual files, and not a combined work. The PDF file achieves both desired effects in one file, but add seachable text, scalable font and page-viewing.
Easy archiving of entire document for storage.
This latter is for those of us that might want to creat a Library of such presentations. If the visitors to this site like the concept, I will continue work on preparing Book 2, and a Compilation, in one volume, of Tim's other Short-stories. I would alo consider any request by other authors at this site to prepare similar presentations of their work should they so desire.
Printer-friendly format, compiled with user "hard-copy" printout in mind. Double-sided page print capable.
The PDF Digital-format guarantees virtual duplication in print of what you see on the screen, allowing the printing of "hard-copy" for non-computer related viewing and reading at leisure. Almost like having purchased the Book, but you provide the paper it's printed upon.
Lastly, the PDF Digital-format file I prepared was never intended to dispense with the existing files or their format, but was suggested simply as an alternative for those visitors desiring the capability to download the entire Book 1 in one fallow swoop, rather than a Chapter by Chapter basis.
Warren C. E. Austin
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the scholar
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Toe is in the water |
Location: England
Registered: August 2002
Messages: 59
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You've lost me!!
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warren c. e. austin
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Likes it here |
Location: Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 247
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When thinking of PDF Digital-formatted manuscripts think "e-Book", with them being virtual duplicates of what "hard-bound" rendings of the original manuscripts might appear like if published and avaialbe at your local retailler.
Warren C. E. Austin
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Steve
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Really getting into it |
Location: London, England
Registered: November 2006
Messages: 465
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I have sent Tim one of his own stories in e-book format for his perusal, so that he can get an idea of what this is about.
Personally, I think the html format should be enhanced. But it's Tim's decision in the end.
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Re: Poll Location 
