Enough with the PDF table of contents already!

[theemrys]

Maybe I'm missing something but it's only 2 clicks for me to get it as it is... certainly not a bother at all... not sure why anyone cares so much...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Maybe I'm missing something but it's only 2 clicks for me to get it as it is... certainly not a bother at all... not sure why anyone cares so much...

Because it's capricious and unneeded.

Every other page of the previews are in HTML. They just go to InDesign, highlight all the text they want from the Table of Contents, drag it over to their browser, paste it into whatever content management system they use, hit SUBMIT, and it appears just like every other page of the previews do.

Their goal is to get people to buy the book. Anything they do to irritate customers is a bad idea. If it even pisses off one customer enough not to buy the book, the cost to do it -- since it takes longer to put it into a PDF, ZIP it and upload it and THEN create the page to link to the ZIP -- is too high.

 

[Jim Hague]

Because it's capricious and unneeded.

Every other page of the previews are in HTML. They just go to InDesign, highlight all the text they want from the Table of Contents, drag it over to their browser, paste it into whatever content management system they use, hit SUBMIT, and it appears just like every other page of the previews do.

Their goal is to get people to buy the book. Anything they do to irritate customers is a bad idea. If it even pisses off one customer enough not to buy the book, the cost to do it -- since it takes longer to put it into a PDF, ZIP it and upload it and THEN create the page to link to the ZIP -- is too high.

You really need to study economics. I don't think a .zipped PDF is a swell idea, but this is pure hyperbole. Because it makes you and a few others unhappy doesn't equal a price too high.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

You really need to study economics. I don't think a .zipped PDF is a swell idea, but this is pure hyperbole. Because it makes you and a few others unhappy doesn't equal a price too high.

It's pure hyperbole that spending extra time to do something that does not create additional sales, but might theoretically kill a sale, is a price too high?

 

[Jdvn1]

You really need to study economics. I don't think a .zipped PDF is a swell idea, but this is pure hyperbole. Because it makes you and a few others unhappy doesn't equal a price too high.

Depends on how you look at it.

Will making the ToC a pdf make any users frustrated enough to not buy the book?
Yes, at least one.

Will making the ToC HTML make any users frustrated enough to not buy the book?
No.

That's an indication the price is too high.

 

[ShinHakkaider]

Does it allow to view zipped PDFs?

Actually when i double click the zipped file OS X not only unzips the file but opens it in Acrobat right after. So really it's not an issue for me but thanks for asking.

 

[Cthulhudrew]

Hear, hear! The zipping of the file is annoying. That's why I usually just wait until someone pastes the ToC in a thread here at ENWorld rather than bother.

 

[Jim Hague]

It's pure hyperbole that spending extra time to do something that does not create additional sales, but might theoretically kill a sale, is a price too high?

Alternately, they could simply offer...nothing. The previews show that they actually care about giving the customer a sneak peek. That they're doing it in a manner that bothers a few people is just the cost of doing business.

I don't agree with the .zip on top of the PDF format - the size savings are minimal, and the extra effort is a waste - but not buying because of that is, frankly, petty. It's nitpicky. Seriously, man, don't you have better things to expend your energy on?

 

[Jdvn1]

Alternately, they could simply offer...nothing. The previews show that they actually care about giving the customer a sneak peek. That they're doing it in a manner that bothers a few people is just the cost of doing business.

Fine, let's add the scenario to this:

Depends on how you look at it.

Will making the ToC a pdf make any users frustrated enough to not buy the book?
Yes, at least one.

Will making the ToC HTML make any users frustrated enough to not buy the book?
No.

That's an indication the price is too high.

Will making no ToC at all make any users frustrated enough to not buy the book?
Probably not.
At least, there is no indication that it would.

Still an indication the price is too high.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Alternately, they could simply offer...nothing. The previews show that they actually care about giving the customer a sneak peek. That they're doing it in a manner that bothers a few people is just the cost of doing business.

OK, that really doesn't make sense.

They're already providing other previews in HTML. They used to provide the table of contents in HTML.

Taking their ball and going home is not the default option.

It's nitpicky. Seriously, man, don't you have better things to expend your energy on?

I'm sorry, Mr. Kettle, I couldn't hear that. Could you repeat that?