Re: PDF request

["T. Michael Keesey" <keesey@gmail.com>]

On 8/17/07, Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au> wrote:
> David Marjanovic wrote:
>
> > I agree on most of your points, but PDFs have a few important advantages
> > over paper copies: lots of them together don't take up more physical space
> > than a USB key or at most a laptop, and they are searchable.
>
> Us 'oldies' seemed to manage quite well in the old days. Paper articles
> are also searchable, but it requires a modicum of effort - something
> that's apparently unacceptable these days. :)

Well, why use printing, for that matter? The ancients did fine with
papyrus and quills! Or we could go back to clay tablets and reed
wedges! Heck, why write anything at all when we can speak?

Technology has its purposes. I'm perfectly capable of scanning a
printed page visually, but if I have a 100-page document and I just
want to find where a certain term is mentioned, then Ctrl+F comes in
mighty handy. Of course I could spend an hour or so looking for that
term, but life is short and I'd rather spend my time doing other
things. It's not about laziness; it's about efficiency.

I'd also like to note that there are a lot more papers being published
than in "the old days". The situation's not exactly the same, and our
tools have had to evolve for us to properly cope with the changes.
-- 
Mike Keesey