Why not allow .pdf attachments?

[Theophylact]

Several times, I've wanted to attach some complicated text+graphics but couldn't. A lot of .pdf's are under 100Kb, and there's no danger of running an executable. Why not?

[OuTpaTienT]

Maybe because everyone wouldn't be able to read it. Not everyone wants to install Acrobat Reader on their system.

Are these documents that you've just run across or are you actually producing documents in this proprietary format?

Personally, I do not like pdf simply for the fact it has been shoved down our throat by Adobe.

What is the PDF format good for?

I would wager to say that Out has it "in" for .pdf documents.

[Theophylact]

Are these documents that you've just run across or are you actually producing documents in this proprietary format?

Both. What I hate is having (or rather, trying) to open a Word document in WordPerfect (an infinitely superior word processor, but unfortunately a minority taste), or sending someone a WordPerfect document that they can't open in Word (because Micros**t won't include up-to-anything-like-date converters in Word), or sending someone a Word document that they can't open because they haven't paid for the shining new version of Word.

Most manuals are now available only online, and often only in Adobe .pdf format. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you're out of luck. It is free, and it's available in cross-platform versions. If I'm bigoted, it's against MS, not Adobe. Other competing portable formats exist; Corel used to flog something called Envoy. Nobody ever used it, and now Acrobat is the standard; versions of WordPerfect higher than 8 allow direct printing to a .pdf file. I also use DocuCom PDF Creator, which allows any windows program to do the same.

You've answered an unasked question, which is "Do you like .pdf files"; I want to know why I shouldn't be able to attach them.

Although it doesn't have any known viruses in the wild yet, pdf files have had code which can be used to propagate viruses. (see old story on Peachy here: http://www.osopinion.com/perl/story/12626.html ).

So there is a risk. Small, but still a risk.

IMO anyway

Cheers
Mick

[Theophylact]

Saw it. But .jpg's are vulnerable, too:
http://www.techimo.com/newsapp/i1047.html

[awwall]

Personally I think .pdf's are the neatest thing since sliced bread. We write all of our tech stuff in word and export in .pdf. Never had a complaint from any enduser. Seems everyone has Acrobat reader or can get it very easy from Adobe site. I would also like to see attachment allowed in .pdf format. I do have the writer also.

my 2 cents

<aw>

[DangerSeeker]

I LOVE pdf's...

Good stuff, manard...I'm trying to get my department to move to pdf storage rather than these useless binders...

and the viewer is FREE...can't say that for a MS program, eh?

[jman01pa]

Actually there are free viewers for most Microsoft products (word, excel, power point etc...) and is available here

http://www.microsoft.com/office/000/viewers.asp


I have been familiar with them since 97.

[DangerSeeker]

Hmm...didn't know that. Too late, our scanners are all .pdf loaded! Not that I had anything to do with it...but could come in quite handy if someone above me would...ahem, I'll shut up now.