Quality, price, and the place for PDFs in the print industry

[Drawmack]

^$%$#@ #& ^ $&#& $^ #%# ^$^$ # %^^ #@**^!!!!!!!!!!

I was going to suggest this to you but I figured the tone would be taken in a "put up or shut up" way so I took it out of my last post.

My version would also scan for "page ##" and turn that into a link as well. You also have to allow phrases and multiple words that have the same index entry (for plurals mostly).

that's all feasable, could just set the it up so that any words or phrases with the same entry are contained on a single line in the text file and seperated with a code charater (something not used in regular writting probably ~). Where as different entries appear on different lines.

 

[MEG Hal]

I will check with Doug, that may work.

 

[Y.O.Morales]

Well Drawmack, if you say that you CAN create an automated program that indexes PDFs, then go ahead and do it! But I would only use it before seeing it in action. Uploading the PDF & a list of words to a website sounds more like a 'have-Drawmack-manually-do-the-index-part" program rather than an automated program in the whole sense.

But I warn you that I'm not much of a tech-saavy person, so if it's really possible, then you have my support. $5 for an index seems convenient to me.

Also, you have to consider that the real price would be $5 plus a free copy of the product. Once it's uploaded, I don't have any guarantee that you'll not copy the PDF to your harddrive. Keep that in mind.

P.S. Hey Doug, check your email. I've sent another round of questions about the C2C service (guess I'll have to email it again)

 

[jmucchiello]

So how about a program that does all of those and lets the publisher choose which to turn on and off? And it will generate the links if you generate the index? If that program existed what would be you willing to pay per pdf to use it?

Certainly. If the price was right. I would probably be leary of an anonymous webpage though. I would want to know who might get access to the PDF for free. I also would not pay for it through PayPal. A credit card transaction or a snail mail check only.

 

[Drawmack]

Well Drawmack, if you say that you CAN create an automated program that indexes PDFs, then go ahead and do it! But I would only use it before seeing it in action. Uploading the PDF & a list of words to a website sounds more like a 'have-Drawmack-manually-do-the-index-part" program rather than an automated program in the whole sense.

when you upload the file and get the updated pdf emailed to you in a couple of minutes I'm pretty sure that'll convince you.

Also, you have to consider that the real price would be $5 plus a free copy of the product. Once it's uploaded, I don't have any guarantee that you'll not copy the PDF to your harddrive. Keep that in mind.

If my usage policies state that I will not keep a copy of your pdf and you find out that I have been I could suffer sever legal penalties. Keep that in mind.

 

[Drawmack]

Certainly. If the price was right. I would probably be leary of an anonymous webpage though. I would want to know who might get access to the PDF for free. I also would not pay for it through PayPal. A credit card transaction or a snail mail check only.

Technically I could access it for free, and if I claimed that I couldn't you would all know I was lying anyway. However it would be very unprofessional of me to do so. I have administrative access to well over 100 web sites and I can provide references for those who fear I would abuse the powers granted to me by setting up the website. Though I could create a page, vieable by the public, of pdfs that were run through the system so that customers would know those were indexed and cross linked.

As far as payment I would offer pay pal and credit card, snail mail payment for this service doesn't make any sense.

 

[Dextra]

I have a question for all the pdf publishers, both posting and lurking here, if there were a web-site where you could upload your pdf document along with a plain text list of words to index and then this site chugged along and created a linked index that it appended to the end of your pdf, then it would either email or ftp the file to you - would you be willing to pay $5.00 for each pdf you indexed using it and would you use it.

Sold.