After the success I had converting the last draft of these wargames rules into GIF images so that they could be downloaded without the need for security settings and passwords, I have done the same with the latest draft.
The rules are by no means finished, but they are now ready for play-testing.
The rules are by no means finished, but they are now ready for play-testing.
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteI am puzzled as to why you need security settings and passwords for PDF files, but not for GIF images?
Mike
Mike,
ReplyDeleteThe answer is quite simple.
I have had one or two occasions in the recent past when things I have put on the Internet as PDFs have been downloaded, ‘unstitched’ using a program like Serif PagePlus, re-formatted, and then passed off as someone else’s ‘original’ work. I have therefore got into the habit of putting security settings and passwords on the PDFs I make available. It goes some way to stopping what I have written being ‘stolen’.
GIF image is exactly that, an image. I know that someone can download it, print it off, and then scan it in using character recognition software, but this is usually too much of an effort for the casual ‘intellectual property thief’.
I suppose it is rather like having a burglar alarm installed in your house. It does not stop the determined burglar, but it puts off most.
All the best,
Bob
Ah, I see now. Thanks for the explanation, Bob.
ReplyDeleteMike
PS Keep up the good work on the Blog, it's one of my regular stops on t'Internet!
Mike,
ReplyDeleteHaving been the victim of intellectual property theft (an American 'copied' a set of my rules, changed the measuring system from cms to inches, and then published them under his own name) I have become very aware of the issues revolving around this.
The problem is that a lot of people don't know that PDFs are vunerable. Some years ago someone I know was working for the police and was complaining that they were having to word-process a copy of a PDF document that was being used by one police force but that the Home Office wanted all police forces to use. I asked why, and they told me that the data staff at the force HQ had told them that PDFs were secure.
I looked at the PDF - which had no security settings on it at all - copied the text, and sent it to my friend in less than 5 minutes. They were dumbfounded!
They contacted the data staff and explained what I had done ... and within days all that police forces PDFs had some form of security setting added and some were password protected as well.
It is truly amazing how poorly aware people who should know about computer security are, and how simple it is to put some basic security into place.
All the best,
Bob