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You have to decide if the left/right layout is truly redundant. If I am using a thick printed manual, I personally find it easier to navigate if the page numbers are on the "outside" of the page (furthest from the binding). For example, if I look up an entry in the table of contents and have to find a page by its number. But that is just me. However, left/right pages are redundant if the headers/footers are the same and I agree with you.
Also, while PDFs can be considered an "online" format for viewing on screen, I still consider it a "print" format because of its page presentation. Because of this, I always format PDFs so that they are suitable for printing and this may include left/right pages with page numbers on the outside. This may also be influenced by the fact that I am almost 60 years old and prefer to read information-dense information on paper if it is practical. I am a bathtub reader as well :-).
Rick
From: Sion Lane <sion -dot- lane -at- unit4 -dot- com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 11:53 AM
To: Ken Poshedly <poshedly -at- bellsouth -dot- net>; Rick Quatro <rick -at- rickquatro -dot- com>; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Odd/Even formatting
âSo go along with the norm and don't question that which is not necessarily wrong.â
I canât help but feel that in this case it would be wrong to spend time and effort developing a redundant page layout. Redundancy is wrong, therefore this page layout would be wrong. Changes to the documentation are listed in the documentation for those that care to read about them, so Iâm happy to get rid of the verso/left page layout. Looking at the PDF of Appleâs Style Guide as an example, theyâve been doing this since 2013.
From: Ken Poshedly [mailto:poshedly -at- bellsouth -dot- net]
Sent: 29 August 2018 16:17
To: Sion Lane <sion -dot- lane -at- unit4 -dot- com <mailto:sion -dot- lane -at- unit4 -dot- com> >; Rick Quatro <rick -at- rickquatro -dot- com <mailto:rick -at- rickquatro -dot- com> >; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com <mailto:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Subject: Re: Odd/Even formatting
Just because YOU think something is unimportant doesn't mean your audience believes that as well. If they see something in your book that they perceive as wrong, or at the very least "going against the grain", you run the risk of losing credibility -- rightfully or wrongfully.
I write heavy construction equipment operation & maintenance manuals. So my job is to create a manual that enables my customers to operate/maintain their 300-ton crawler crane safely, properly and with minimal downtime for maintenance. Anything that I do to draw their attention away from "the norm" in any way can result in possible confusion and incorrect performance of a procedure. That could result in malfunction of machinery or injury (or even worse, death) of the operator.
I tell others that in my line of work, no news is good news. No one calls me to say, "Wow! Every period in it's place!" But let them find one misspelling and jeez-oh-man, it's like hell!
So go along with the norm and don't question that which is not necessarily wrong. You've got enough to worry about in making sure your technical data is absolutely, positively and indubitably correct in all aspects. <grin>
-- Kenpo in Atlanta
_____
From: Sion Lane <sion -dot- lane -at- unit4 -dot- com <mailto:sion -dot- lane -at- unit4 -dot- com> >
To: Rick Quatro <rick -at- rickquatro -dot- com <mailto:rick -at- rickquatro -dot- com> >; "techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com <mailto:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> " <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com <mailto:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> >
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 10:36 AM
Subject: RE: Odd/Even formatting
Redundancy I guess, why have one more page layout than you need?
-----Original Message-----
From: Rick Quatro [mailto:rick -at- rickquatro -dot- com <mailto:rick -at- rickquatro -dot- com> ]
Sent: 29 August 2018 15:29
To: Sion Lane <sion -dot- lane -at- unit4 -dot- com <mailto:sion -dot- lane -at- unit4 -dot- com> >; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com <mailto:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Subject: RE: Odd/Even formatting
It's a good question, but I always wonder what the downside is to keeping left/right pages?
Rick Quatro
Carmen Publishing Inc.
rick -at- frameexpert -dot- com <mailto:rick -at- frameexpert -dot- com>
585-729-6746 NEW!
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+rick=rickquatro -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com <mailto:rickquatro -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
<techwr-l-bounces+rick=rickquatro -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> On Behalf Of Sion Lane
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 10:25 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com <mailto:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Subject: Odd/Even formatting
I'm just wondering if any of you have a good reason for keeping the traditional odd/even page formatting when your only deliverable is a pdf file. It doesn't facilitate online reading in any way, and even if people print out double sided it shouldn't matter, in my opinion.
We are working on a new page layout and I questioned the need for a different right and left page, my boss seemed uncertain so I would ideally like to go back with some resources/examples to back up my intuition.
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