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by R.M. Schneider
Last Update:
15 Nov 2009
The writing world has gone bonkers. In the "good old
days" it was the responsibility of the author (or their editor, publisher, boss,
or secretary). They made sure that the quality of the document's content
was sufficient, they also ensured the format "right". Both content and
format was "hard-coded" onto the piece of paper with ink.
Then we got computers. These computers were loaded with
Microsoft Office. Scott McNealy, the CEO, of Sun Microsystems, is not known for
his affection for Microsoft. Quite the opposite. Speaking to the National Press
Club of Australia way back in October 1996, he pronounced that "when the
anthropologists look back on the 1980s and 1990s and do the archaeological digs,
and get their calipers and brooms and microscopes out, they will blame the
massive reduction in productivity during the 1980s and 1990s entirely on
Microsoft Office."
- The format for Word DOC files is not only
proprietary--it's also secret. Microsoft does not publish the format of
these files. Your writing is held hostage in Microsoft Word DOC files.
- Not everyone uses Word, and those without Word will not
be able to read your document. Users with Linux may well balk at even
trying to read the document. That would be a shame.
- Even if they have Word, they need the right version.
There are now three or four different versions: Word 2.0 (now probably
defunct, not not disappeared, Word 6, Word 95, and Word 97/2000/XP. The
later versions can read the earlier version's files, but not visa versa.
These formats are different because Microsoft used changing file formats as a
way to force the market to upgrade to newer versions. This problem has
settled down a bit with Word 2000 to 2003, but the future is not assured.
- When they read your document, you can't be sure you
fancy formatting may not look a little
s
t
r
a
n
g
e for some readers. And if they don't use the same fonts and view
settings, all formatting is different than you intended.
- The documents are insecure. Not only are Word DOC
files a great way for virus writers to hide their wares, text that you as
author delete from the document does not always disappear from the DOC file.
Previously deleted text can often be detected in Word DOC files.
- We don't know, but there is evidence that Word DOC
files contain some sort of unique identifier (called a GUID) than can point
back to a particular machine on which the document was created or edited.
- Private data 'about' the document is retained in released documents.
Data that you thought you deleted in a document can often still be there
awaiting discovery. See
http://www.computerbytesman.com/privacy/blair.htm for the experience of
the British Government with the release of documents during the lead up to
2003's Gulf War.
To overcome these issues with Word DOC files, consider the
following as ways to issue electronic documents that, while written in Word, are
released in a different format
- Adobe Acrobat. Publish the DOC file as an
Adobe Acrobat document. With Adobe, you the author can fix the quality
of both content and format and enable the reader to read using a software tool
designed to read. The PDF format--while proprietary and "owned' by
Adobe--is published and known. The tool to read the PDF is Adobe Acrobat
Reader which is now ubiquitously available. Adobe sells product to make PDF
files. Other tools are available at lower cost, or even free, e.g.
Ghostscript. For more on creating
PDF files without fuss, see Creating PDF Files
and Delivering them by Email. Also see the August
2003 review articles in PC Magazine which reviews a number of
alternative ways to make PDF files.
- Save as Rich Text Format (RTF). If your
reader insists on using Word to read your document, then send them an ASCII
format file which will contain no macro viruses or no deleted text and will
contain all the text formatting that you applied. Use the Menu: File
| Save As ... RTF command to do this.
- HTML. If your document contains graphics
and a lot of fancy formatting, save it as HTML. Then the user can read
in Word or read with their Browser. Simple. Use the Menu:
File | Save As ... HTML command to do this.
R.M. Schneider
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