From:	Patrick Goodman remo@***.net
Subject:	The Shadowrun Supplemental #10
Date:	Sun, 4 Jul 1999 22:02:00 -0500

Before we begin, let me specify that I am *not* trying to slag Adam for the
enormous amount of work he puts into TSS.

I am trying to slag Adobe. I think "Adobe" is an alternate spelling for
"Satan," as their programs have seldom done anything more than screw up a
perfectly good Windows setup for me. Your mileage may vary; them's the
breaks.

> >That's unfortunate, since Acrobat is crap for reading things on
> >the screen
>
> Odd. I don't seem to have a problem. Maximize Acrobat. Hit "View
> -> Fit in Window".

And you can read this? It makes the print nearly microscopic on my system.
The text is legible if I set it fit the page width, but there's a shitload
of scrolling that has to be done that I don't have to do in Word with RTF.

> And as I've said, both on my page and in my posting to the list, a
> HTML version will be out this week, for on screen viewing.

Which isn't any good unless I'm online.

> >and it constantly locks up at around page 4.
>
> In this particular file? Haven't noticed a problem with it or any other
> PDF file I've read before. I have -never- had Acrobat Reader, versions 2
> through 4, crash on me. Ever.

This file and DRAGONS, though it's not terribly consistent of late. I've
seldom had an Adobe product *not* crash on me if I've had to use it for
longer than about 20 minutes or so.

I avoid PDF files wherever and whenever I can, though, so your mileage may
vary. You might recall that I asked for the basic Word files that DRAGON
was made from, so that I could fix some of the obvious spelling errors and
wouldn't have to deal with all the silly little formatting errors found in
that (otherwise magnificent) piece of work. In other words, it's probably
just me.

> If I get more reports of this, I'll look into it, but since page 4 is
plain
> text, with one line graphic, and nothing else, I have very little reason
to
> believe that it is in any way corrupted or would cause the reader to
crash.

I don't think it's TSS-10; I think it's Acrobat.

> I'll look into a Pagemaker -> Word/RTF filter, but I'm not promising
> anything. I spend quite enough time on the magazine already, and I
> obviously put far too much effort into trying to please -everyone-.

Don't work yourself into a frenzy over it; I'll get over things fairly
quickly, I'm sure. Don't go trying to change things just because I bitch
about the format.

> And yeah, if this comes off as a bit frustrated and upset, I am.

Such was not my intention; having done more than my share of this sort of
thing over the years, I know how touchy it can cause you to be. The
magazine itself looks great, Adam, and as I've said elsewhere, I don't want
to come across as slagging on you for the work you do. I, speaking only for
myself, am deeply grateful to you for the work that you've put into TSS. I
just happen to be the type that, on something like this, thinks that the
information is more important than the formatting, and easier on me to boot.

But it's your baby, and your call. Don't let my kvetching about it change
how you do things, and likewise don't take it personally.

--
(>) Texas 2-Step
El Paso: Never surrender. Never forget. Never forgive.