Dear Fellows,
during our regular meetings in the Berlin Fellowship group we discussed how PDF is a very useful format, but its usage often goes hand in hand with promotion of proprietary software, even though there are Free Software PDF readers. So we decided to do something about it.
Over the past months we discussed with other Fellows across Europe on discussions@lists.fsfe.org, what we should be doing. Together we have set up an initiative for promoting Free Software PDF readers at http://pdfreaders.org.
The idea is that web masters should have an alternative for the "Get Adobe Reader"-Buttons, linking to pdfreaders.org to inform people about Free Software PDF readers and where to find them. There are several buttons for pdfreaders.org that can be used for this purpose online at http://pdfreaders.org/graphics.html.
When people then visit pdfreaders.org, they will get some very brief information about Open Standards and Free Software, and why they matter - along with information about the Free Software PDF readers and links for more information.
We hope that you will help us to put these buttons on all sites that use PDF.
Greetings from Berlin, HennR and Hannes
Thanks for this initiative, I believe it's important to get the word out that there are better alternatives.
Am sure there are many alternatives out there, how will the list be managed? On a popularity basis?
KwangErn
On Fri, Dec 12, 2008 at 1:58 PM, HennR discodestroyer@gmx.net wrote:
Dear Fellows,
during our regular meetings in the Berlin Fellowship group we discussed how PDF is a very useful format, but its usage often goes hand in hand with promotion of proprietary software, even though there are Free Software PDF readers. So we decided to do something about it.
Over the past months we discussed with other Fellows across Europe on discussions@lists.fsfe.org, what we should be doing. Together we have set up an initiative for promoting Free Software PDF readers at http://pdfreaders.org.
The idea is that web masters should have an alternative for the "Get Adobe Reader"-Buttons, linking to pdfreaders.org to inform people about Free Software PDF readers and where to find them. There are several buttons for pdfreaders.org that can be used for this purpose online at http://pdfreaders.org/graphics.html.
When people then visit pdfreaders.org, they will get some very brief information about Open Standards and Free Software, and why they matter - along with information about the Free Software PDF readers and links for more information.
We hope that you will help us to put these buttons on all sites that use PDF.
Greetings from Berlin, HennR and Hannes
Discussion mailing list Discussion@fsfeurope.org https://mail.fsfeurope.org/mailman/listinfo/discussion
On Fri, 2008-12-12 at 16:34 +0100, KwangErn Liew wrote:
Am sure there are many alternatives out there, how will the list be managed? On a popularity basis?
Unfortunately, there are not as many free PDF-readers as one might think. For Windows and MacOS X there are only one for each as far as I know.
As soon as the translations are in, we'll be sorting the readers alphabetically.
all the best, /Stian
On Fri, Dec 12, 2008 at 5:54 PM, Stian Rødven Eide stian@fsfeurope.org wrote:
On Fri, 2008-12-12 at 16:34 +0100, KwangErn Liew wrote:
Am sure there are many alternatives out there, how will the list be managed? On a popularity basis?
Unfortunately, there are not as many free PDF-readers as one might think. For Windows and MacOS X there are only one for each as far as I know.
Hm, I see.
Not sure if it's applicable, but at work we use Foxit Reader http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php
Adobe was eating too much resources for our needs. It wasn't interesting at all. Foxit was chosen just to tackle that. I'd be glad to try out others and weight the benefits of course. :)
So, good job on the website! Will definitely spread the word around!
KwangErn
Hi KwangErn
* KwangErn Liew ke.liew@gmail.com [2008-12-13 10:12:19 +0100]:
Not sure if it's applicable, but at work we use Foxit Reader http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php
Foxit is non-free software: http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_eula.htm
Best wishes, Matthias
Aha! Thanks for enlightening me! :)
KwangErn
On Sat, Dec 13, 2008 at 1:12 PM, Matthias Kirschner mk@fsfe.org wrote:
Hi KwangErn
- KwangErn Liew ke.liew@gmail.com [2008-12-13 10:12:19 +0100]:
Not sure if it's applicable, but at work we use Foxit Reader http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php
Foxit is non-free software: http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_eula.htm
Best wishes, Matthias
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On Sat, 2008-12-13 at 13:12 +0100, Matthias Kirschner wrote:
Hi KwangErn
- KwangErn Liew ke.liew@gmail.com [2008-12-13 10:12:19 +0100]:
Not sure if it's applicable, but at work we use Foxit Reader http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php
Foxit is non-free software: http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_eula.htm
Then you should probably use the domain name freepdfreaders.org, or are you implicitly deceiving consumers ?
Simo.
* simo simo.sorce@xsec.it [2008-12-13 10:35:25 -0500]:
- KwangErn Liew ke.liew@gmail.com [2008-12-13 10:12:19 +0100]:
Not sure if it's applicable, but at work we use Foxit Reader http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php
Foxit is non-free software: http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_eula.htm
Then you should probably use the domain name freepdfreaders.org, or are you implicitly deceiving consumers ?
Do you have to explain everything in the URL? Than we should use: pdfreaderswiththefreedomtousestudyshareandimprove.org ;)
I think the text on the page makes it totally clear that we list only Free Software pdfreaders.
Many programs can read and write PDF documents, and there are good reasons why you would want to choose a Free Software PDF reader.
The most important is that your choice protects your basic 4 freedoms, which give you control over your computer and help protect your privacy. You might also want to promote the versions of PDF that are Open Standards, because Open Standards protect competition and choice.
There are many programs to read and write PDF documents. The following list of PDF readers is vendor neutral. All of them are Free Software:
And I would consider it immoral to list non-free software.
Best wishes, Matthias
On Sat, 2008-12-13 at 16:48 +0100, Matthias Kirschner wrote:
- simo simo.sorce@xsec.it [2008-12-13 10:35:25 -0500]:
- KwangErn Liew ke.liew@gmail.com [2008-12-13 10:12:19 +0100]:
Not sure if it's applicable, but at work we use Foxit Reader http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php
Foxit is non-free software: http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_eula.htm
Then you should probably use the domain name freepdfreaders.org, or are you implicitly deceiving consumers ?
Do you have to explain everything in the URL? Than we should use: pdfreaderswiththefreedomtousestudyshareandimprove.org ;)
no that would be quite too much :)
I think the text on the page makes it totally clear that we list only Free Software pdfreaders.
Yes I know you do, but yet the domain name by itself seem to imply a site that deal with PDF readers in general. Seem an unfortunate thing.
And I would consider it immoral to list non-free software.
I would never ask the FSFE to do something like that, and I praise the initiative (except for the domain name :).
Simo.