The Death of PDF

as a user documentation formatThe Death of PDFBy Radu Bzvan of the SDL clan

53 offices worldwideDevelopment head office for the Enterprise team (WorldServer and TMS) and for the companys flagship product (SDL Trados Studio) is in #Cluj, #RomaniaWe untangle the complexity of managing your brands digital footprint as it grows across multiple languages, cultures, websites, devices and channelsCustomers include: Apple, Samsung, Facebook, LinkedIn, Man, VW (nothing to do with no emission tests!), Tesla, TripAdvisor, TCOTLDS 87 of the worlds top 100 brands are our clients (thus spake the Marketing Dpt.)

About SDL

Tech writer since 2003Experienced in Telecom software and enterprise translation softwarePlays around in Robohelp, DocToHelp, Adobe Framemaker, Xmetal, Live Content ArchitectAlso a published English and French translator, interpreter, former copywriterAlso an indie filmmaker (producer and scriptwriter see www.filmulusturoi.ro)Also a blogger since 2006 (see www.groparu.ro)About the vorbitor

The ubiquitous Portable Document Format has been around since time immemorial. Its literally everywherePDF is a file format used to present documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware and operating systemsHistory: in 1991, Adobe Systems co-founder John Warnock outlined a system called Camelot, the forefather of the current day PDF (PDF, I am your forefather!) Benefit: each PDF encapsulates a complete description of a fixed-layout flat document, including the text, fonts, graphics and other information needed to display itWhat is PDF?

Suuuuuure because:Tradition (PDF is the de facto standard for electronic documents)PortabilityIts easy to create (unlike web pages)Simple to make and shareFlexibilityConvert from any source, use in every workflowSecurity (the cat in the hat)Authentication (digital signatures)Semantics (for people with disabilities)More such nonsense at http://talkingpdf.org/why-pdf Sounds interesting!

However, dr. house is not impressed

Hence! Should we kill pdf?

Yes! KILL IT! KILL IT WITH FIRE!!!

But why? Why, jerry, why?

Its the web, stupid!

Its 2015. Thou shalt not fear the almighty Web

Things are a-changing

I want our docs to be unavailable to competitors!!! They could read and steal our docs!!!!!!!!11we must let pdf go back to the hellhole it came from

Online docs may result in comment spam!we must let pdf go back to the hellhole it came from

Non-tech writers can't contribute to the online docs!we must let pdf go back to the hellhole it came from

I want output that 'feels like a book!we must let pdf go back to the hellhole it came from

I need a checklist on paper on which I check off tasks performed!we must let pdf go back to the hellhole it came from

I need product prerequisites in a standalone deliverable!we must let pdf go back to the hellhole it came from

I need to consult documentation while offline!we must let pdf go back to the hellhole it came from

If you need to find something, you yahoo bing google itWhy web

You get your audience and community in one placeWhy web

You get precioussss feedback

Why web

You can even add video tutorials

Why web

Readers can easily save a specific file or even a whole document to their local machineWhy web

You can make it beautiful and unique, like a snowflakeWhy web

You can even document stuff after the releaseWhy web

You can get integrated feedback from the population prior to the releaseWhy web

You activate your community and you make your documentation interactiveWhy web

Nobody reads your entire documentation. Deal with it (except, perhaps, Japanese and German audiences?)Why web

Theres always wikis and knowledge base articles. Heck, even Microsoft uses themWhy web

Its the future. Is there anybody without a smartphone in the audience?

Why web

Analytics!

Why web

PDF: Kill it! Kill it with fire before it lays eggs!Conclusion?

Thank you, dear audience!

Contact:rbazavan@sdl.comgroparu.ro@gmail.com