WTF is it with colleges and PDF files?

[Shawn]

Almost everything is in PDF format. In my sociology class they'll scan news articles and instead of making them compressed image files they make HUGE PDF files. Usually 20+MB in size. WTF?! :|

edit: I even have teachers that convert their powerpoint presentations into PDF files.

 

[mugs]

Maybe they're scanning with a photocopier and they don't know how to change the settings

 

[Dubb]

easier for multi-page stuff.

and if you confince the prof to compress the images before compiling the PDF, the files will be smaller.

 

[RaynorWolfcastle]

uh, the fact that your sociology prof doesn't know how to set Acrobat correctly doesn't make PDF suck as a format.

 

[Plasdom]

wait till everything is in .ps format

 

[Ornery]

Originally posted by: mugs
Maybe they're scanning with a photocopier and they don't know how to change the settings

Ah, tell me more. I bought a Canon 8400F, and was thrilled with how quickly and easily it can create a PDF, however they are HUGE. I didn't notice any settings for reducing them.

Edit: Nevermind, I think I found it in the manual I just downloaded (original is still in the box). There's a "settings" window that can be brought up to make adjustments, and one of them is image resolution. No doubt that will be the culprit.

 

[revnja]

Originally posted by: RaynorWolfcastle
uh, the fact that your sociology prof doesn't know how to set Acrobat correctly doesn't make PDF suck as a format.

Thank you!

 

[Zenmervolt]

I know exactly why most places use PDF: Document security. PPT slides are converted to PDF for distribution because they are copyrighted instructional materials and belong to the professors. They do _not_ want to see their own slides ending up in other PPT presentations and making them available only in PDF makes it more difficult for students to plagarise them.

ZV

 

[Mo0o]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
I know exactly why most places use PDF: Document security. PPT slides are converted to PDF for distribution because they are copyrighted instructional materials and belong to the professors. They do _not_ want to see their own slides ending up in other PPT presentations and making them available only in PDF makes it more difficult for students to plagarise them.

ZV

ALmost all of my professors offer their lecture slides in PPT form. I guess they're lazy

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
I know exactly why most places use PDF: Document security. PPT slides are converted to PDF for distribution because they are copyrighted instructional materials and belong to the professors. They do _not_ want to see their own slides ending up in other PPT presentations and making them available only in PDF makes it more difficult for students to plagarise them.

ZV

Yeah, and these are the same profs that make it 1 slide per page, jacking up paper use.

 

[RaynorWolfcastle]

Originally posted by: Mo0o

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
I know exactly why most places use PDF: Document security. PPT slides are converted to PDF for distribution because they are copyrighted instructional materials and belong to the professors. They do _not_ want to see their own slides ending up in other PPT presentations and making them available only in PDF makes it more difficult for students to plagarise them.

ZV

ALmost all of my professors offer their lecture slides in PPT form. I guess they're lazy

How lazy can you get, converting to PDF is as simple as printing

 

[Mo0o]

Originally posted by: RaynorWolfcastle

Originally posted by: Mo0o

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
I know exactly why most places use PDF: Document security. PPT slides are converted to PDF for distribution because they are copyrighted instructional materials and belong to the professors. They do _not_ want to see their own slides ending up in other PPT presentations and making them available only in PDF makes it more difficult for students to plagarise them.

ZV

ALmost all of my professors offer their lecture slides in PPT form. I guess they're lazy

How lazy can you get, converting to PDF is as simple as printing

Dont look at me, ask my professors

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: SarcasticDwarf

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
I know exactly why most places use PDF: Document security. PPT slides are converted to PDF for distribution because they are copyrighted instructional materials and belong to the professors. They do _not_ want to see their own slides ending up in other PPT presentations and making them available only in PDF makes it more difficult for students to plagarise them.

ZV

Yeah, and these are the same profs that make it 1 slide per page, jacking up paper use.

There's an easy printer setting in Acrobat reader where you can specify 2, 4, 6, or 9 "pages" per printed sheet of paper...

ZV

 

[Darien]

I like PDF. Everyone can view a pdf file with any pdf reader (many of which are free), and it'll look exactly the same on any machine.

Can't say the same for many other document forms (eg: .doc files).

 

[PaNsyBoy8]

Originally posted by: Darien
I like PDF. Everyone can view a pdf file with any pdf reader (many of which are free), and it'll look exactly the same on any machine.

Can't say the same for many other document forms (eg: .doc files).

That's exactly it, its also harder to edit pdf files, and its a great way to get rid of metadata

 

[speg]

Dude, my university uses a lot of PDF's and I love it. In fact, I ask my prof's specifically if they can publish their notes/presentations etc in pdf. And yes that includes powerpoint. In fact, ESPECIALLY powerpoint. You know why? BEcasue PDF = relaible. Whether I'm in class, on my notebook, in the labs, at home, on a my Mac or PC it's always going to work AND display correctly. So many times I've opened some file and the characters are all screwed up. PDF brings a standard that everyone can read. When you've got all those scenarios I just listed x50 students you are bound to have problems unless you have a standard. PDF is that standard.

 

[dighn]

Originally posted by: PaNsyBoy8

Originally posted by: Darien
I like PDF. Everyone can view a pdf file with any pdf reader (many of which are free), and it'll look exactly the same on any machine.

Can't say the same for many other document forms (eg: .doc files).

That's exactly it, its also harder to edit pdf files, and its a great way to get rid of metadata

ditto
I <3 pdf

 

[ramuman]

PDF is fine, the bloated reader for it that is Acrobat 7 is not. Hopefully thats one of the things they work on after the merger - doubt it though.

PDF works because you can convert nearly anything to a PDF from Mathematica and MATLAB code to PowerPoint to Word and like was said above, if it coverted fine, it will look fine on any computer that has the reader (a version above which you specify when distilling the PDF)

 

[tami]

it's better to have a PDF than a PS (postscript) file, especially if you don't run linux.

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: Darien
I like PDF. Everyone can view a pdf file with any pdf reader (many of which are free), and it'll look exactly the same on any machine.

Can't say the same for many other document forms (eg: .doc files).

There's a free PPT viewer available from Microsoft.

 

[Apathetic]

They use the PDF format because it is platform independent and you can get a free reader for just about any OS.

Dave

 

[Rock Hydra]

Originally posted by: Apathetic
They use the PDF format because it is platform independent and you can get a free reader for just about any OS.

Dave

I was thinking something about the same.

 

[lobadobadingdong]

Originally posted by: Apathetic
They use the PDF format because it is platform independent and you can get a free reader for just about any OS.

Dave

not to mention document security and that is easily printable unlike various other formats can be.

 

[DanTMWTMP]

Originally posted by: lobadobadingdong

Originally posted by: Apathetic
They use the PDF format because it is platform independent and you can get a free reader for just about any OS.

Dave

not to mention document security and that is easily printable unlike various other formats can be.

they speak the truth. It's very convenient for everyone along the spectrum. I just hope the acrobat program won't be as much as a resource hog in the future, although 7.0x makes huge improvements in that department.

 

[CVSiN]

Originally posted by: Shawn
Almost everything is in PDF format. In my sociology class they'll scan news articles and instead of making them compressed image files they make HUGE PDF files. Usually 20+MB in size. WTF?! :|

edit: I even have teachers that convert their powerpoint presentations into PDF files.

doesnt change in the corp world either... PDFs are 90% of the format used.