Re: the bigger picture
- From: Bowerbird@[redacted]
- Subject: Re: the bigger picture
- Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2006 14:34:05 EDT
allen said:
> 1. If I use the .pdf to .txt conversion utility that comes with Adobe
> it omits the page numbers.
well, that will depend on how the .pdf was created;
it _is_ possible to have the pagenumbers saved out.
but -- at least if you're talking about the "save to text"
option that's included in the acrobat viewer-program --
it would be much better if it would save to .rtf format,
because the "save to text" format drops text-styling...
on the other hand, you _can_ select-all-and-then-copy
the text from a .pdf, which has the benefit of _retaining_
much of the styling, but it drops paragraph indentation
and (sometimes) converts soft linebreaks into hard ones.
so you're damned if you do it one way, and damned if you
do it another way! it would be nice if adobe would combine
the benefits of both! this is _one_big_ problem with .pdf,
its inability to repurpose the document in any useful way.
as has always been the case, .pdf is a roach motel format:
documents can get in, but they can't get out. it's very sad.
> 2. The .html files do not have page numbers.
sorry about that!
most .html versions out of d.p. now include pagenumbers.
i don't like how they are implemented -- the pagenumbers
are intermingled with the text, which is fine if you want 'em,
but a pain in the butt if you don't -- but i do not know of
a better way to implement this in (x)html, unfortunately...
(however, i _can_ recommend to the d.p. people that they
should make the pagenumbers _distinctive_ in some way
-- e.g., coloring them to something unique in the book --
so as to be deleted by automatic routines when unwanted.)
> 3. If I cite the article it is courteous to include the
> page number and for a book it is absolutely necessary.
i agree.
> 4. I can OCR the text and get the page numbers
> but that is a pain.
yes it is.
> Why is it such a big deal to include page numbers in e-text.
you'll have to ask adobe.
you might also inform the people who prepare your .pdfs
that there is a way that they can retain the pagenumbers...
they might not know they can, and would do it if you asked.
> I might add that with the texts I download from Gutenberg
> there are no page numbers for the most part. However
> the value of the Gutenberg offerings far outstrips even
> going to a paper text to get the page numbers for citation.
i agree. but the value would be even greater _with_ pagenumbers.
_and_ original linebreaks. i have asked d.p. and p.g. to retain both,
but they have not done so. it's a shame to toss out good information.
> PS: Do you know about the Australian Bowerbird?
i do indeed. and the ones from new guinea as well,
and gave myself my poetry name because of them... :+)
-bowerbird