Downloading Painfully Slow?

I'll share a secret:

Ever since I upgraded to Firefox 3, I can directly download their PDFs (after I'm logged in to my paid account, of course).

Step 1: Right-click on the link and "save as"
Step 2: It tries to download a "download.asp" file. I cancel the download.
Step 3: I right-click and "save as" again.
Step 4: It downloads straight as a PDF, with no more fuss.

I've been doing it for about two months, now. Works perfectly, even now that they've switched to pay-model.
 

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I'll share a secret:

Ever since I upgraded to Firefox 3, I can directly download their PDFs (after I'm logged in to my paid account, of course).

Step 1: Right-click on the link and "save as"
Step 2: It tries to download a "download.asp" file. I cancel the download.
Step 3: I right-click and "save as" again.
Step 4: It downloads straight as a PDF, with no more fuss.

I've been doing it for about two months, now. Works perfectly, even now that they've switched to pay-model.

That's funny, I use that trick too
 

I've had no issues either, other than the 1 issue where they admit something went on and it was too big. But, I downloaded the dungeon compilation in less than 1 minute last night. Firefox is your friend.
 

justanobody said:
In order to save a PDF you have a few options depending on your browser.

*Disable PDF viewing for the browser when visting DDI.
*Uninstall any BHOs from your browser that automatically open PDF files.
*Uninstall any PDF viewing software until after you have downloaded the PDf you want and reinstall it.
*Unassociate PDF files with your PDF viewer so your OS does not know what to do with them and ask/promtps for an action to take when it comes across them

For anything else you will have to contact WotC directly about their download.asp file/page that is causing you problems.
This just isn't true. The key issue lies with the PDF viewer's option to open the PDF in the browser. There's an easy option for those of you with Acrobat v8. Just go to Edit/Preferences then choose Internet on teh left pane, then uncheck the box to open PDFs in the browser. [NOTE: You should close all browser instances either before or after doing this]

From then on, you won't open your PDFs in the browser.

As Henry stated, there are other similar options for other PDF plug-ins.

justanobody said:
Due to the struture of the site and the way their content management system (CMS) works, there is an interim page between the link and the downloads that checks to see if you are a subscriber. Due to this you must jump through some hoops in order to be able to download a PDf from their site when behind the subscription firewall.

WotC feels it better to make you make changes to your browser just to use their service, rather than make changes to their server to better serve everyone.

It may or may not have to do with their CMS and the authenticaiton methods of their system. I've worked with many different CMS tools, both open source and otherwise, both php and .net, and sometimes this is done with a plug-in component and sometimes the developers roll their own system.

Either way, I would agree that this is something that could be fixed. But I imagine the reason WOTC probably hasn't done something more extensive like maximising authorization, authentication and a simple DB table of "content-to-users" or something is that they are already up to their ears. It isn't a priority with all these simple options available. Security comes first, usability comes second (unfortunate, but necessary).

Oh.. and I have no idea why they are running an older CMS that uses classic asp, other than the fact that they have too many systems tied together by this older paradigm, and changing would be a monumental task.
 

This just isn't true.
Oh? So none of those methods work eh?
The key issue lies with the PDF viewer's option to open the PDF in the browser.

BHO = Browser Helper Object. A tool that tells the browser how to respond to a request to a certain filetype to be accessed or opened.

When you have your foot out of your mouth, then please tell me which of the ways I mentioned do not work to allow people to save PDFs from DDI.
 

Oh? So none of those methods work eh?
justanobody said:
For anything else you will have to contact WotC directly about their download.asp file/page that is causing you problems.
I didn't say that none of those things work. I was responding to the second quote above. I provided a a simple, easy to understand alternative to disabling browser viewing of PDFs for Acrobat.

BHO = Browser Helper Object. A tool that tells the browser how to respond to a request to a certain filetype to be accessed or opened.

When you have your foot out of your mouth, then please tell me which of the ways I mentioned do not work to allow people to save PDFs from DDI.
I know what a BHO is, but most others don't, so instead of trying to sound like an expert, it helps to explain things to others.

FYI, you don't have win the internet. I didn't put my foot in my mouth, so I would appreciate that you quit the personal attacks. The extraordinarily aggressive style of some of your posts on this board are becoming trying.
 

I'll share a secret:

Ever since I upgraded to Firefox 3, I can directly download their PDFs (after I'm logged in to my paid account, of course).

Step 1: Right-click on the link and "save as"
Step 2: It tries to download a "download.asp" file. I cancel the download.
Step 3: I right-click and "save as" again.
Step 4: It downloads straight as a PDF, with no more fuss.

I've been doing it for about two months, now. Works perfectly, even now that they've switched to pay-model.
Thanks, it works like a charm! :)

Could you explain to me the technical reason for this behavior? I'm rather curious...
 

I didn't say that none of those things work. I was responding to the second quote above. I provided a a simple, easy to understand alternative to disabling browser viewing of PDFs for Acrobat.


I know what a BHO is, but most others don't, so instead of trying to sound like an expert, it helps to explain things to others.

FYI, you don't have win the internet. I didn't put my foot in my mouth, so I would appreciate that you quit the personal attacks. The extraordinarily aggressive style of some of your posts on this board are becoming trying.

You don't have to call someone out either. You could have cut to the post section like you did here to explain which part you were disagreeing with. Many people have problems with the download.asp part of the DDI where the Dragon and Dungeon are concerned, and the only way to get them to change or fit it, or even put it as higher priority is if more people actually tell them that it is a severe problem that causes people to be unable to access what they have paid for.

There system is flawed to where it corrupts normal browser operation, and they need to be informed about it.

Also when you work with them you don't have to "trying to sound like an expert", it just comes natural to speak in acronyms as they are. Properly searching would yield anyone the information they need. The first thing in Google is a wikipedia page on what a BHO is. From there people can find whichever product they wish to help them remove them.

I am not going to babysit people on the internet and get their computers working perfectly for free, they should be able to at least use Google and search for things.

So I stand by what I said, and not in some way to "win the internet". You claimed the things I mentioned to do was not true ways to resolve the problem. You were factually incorrect. So keep your personal attacks to yourself.

So when you don't try to start a fight, you might not find one later. So don't call someone out and then expect them to back into a corner like some internet bully picked on some kid in school.

Again, WotC needs to make it where people can save an article or compiled issue without having to jump through stupid hoops and allow natural and normal internet viewing to continue without what I would consider to be a virus since it alters the way your computer works for the personal gain of WotC, by trying to force a PDF to be viewed in a browser rather than letting you save it for viewing later. Portable Document Format, not View Only While on WotC Website Document Format. (VOWoWWDF)
 

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