13 replies to this topic

[Dafydd Humphreys]

Hi - hit a wall on this one.
I am trying to make it possible for students to download worksheets via my history site, like Stephen is doing.
My problem is a pop-up password box comes up which is irrelevant as one can just press 'cancel' to by-pass it.

How can this be rid of? I use FP2000.

[Andrew Field]

Could you put a link up to where you are having the problem. It could be due to a couple of different things. I've tried to use .pdfs wherever possible as it removes difficulties. The differing versions of Word cause different things to happen when .docs are downloaded. Earlier versions were less web-friendly.

Without seeing it, I can't be certain, but I think this is a 'feature' of Word, rather than anything you are doing wrong in Frontpage.

If Adobe Acrobat versions would be useful you can download a number of free programs that do the job now - and if you get the school to buy it, you can buy the real thing through educational suppliers such as Pugh computers.

[Dafydd Humphreys]

Cheers Andrew - here is the link.

History Detective

Can you really get freebie .pdf converters?

[Andrew Field]

Ok - point number one: I clicked on the link, the Word document appeared, with no password.



Point number 2: Free .pdf makers - most certainly.

There are a number of avenues to explore:

http://pandecta.com/...pdf_makers.html
(Their viewpoint, buy the proper one, but use their suggestions if you can't afford it.)

http://publishing.ab...y/aa032402a.htm
(Rather technical solution, but it works.)

https://createpdf.adobe.com/
(Free online .pdf makers from Adobe themselves - can get annoying and you need to register - this is clearly a leader to get you to buy it!)

http://www.pdf995.com/
(Seems to be a free maker)

http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/
(This is a free university based one. I fiddled around with this one for some time, with limited success, until the real version arrived.)

It is a thriving business - and there are lots of free creators out there. However the real thing is far easier and more effective. Try getting your school to buy it? They way I did this was offer to pay for it - when it arrived I showed them how it could be useful, and then they paid for it. For £40ish you can't go wrong.

[Dafydd Humphreys]

Thanks for that - I'll check them out once the marking is out of the way.

[Carole Faithorn]

I clicked and _did_ get the password. Also it took ages to download (Andrew's now got broadband, lucky thing)

For free .pdf conversion I have usedNeevia Document Converter eXPress. It's fine for converting the occasional file, but a bit tedious I guess if you have lots to do. You select the file you want converted from your hard drive, then either wait for the conversion to appear in your browser, or they email you a link within a couple of minutes.

[Stephen Drew]

1. Did not get any password stuff.

2. Downloaded in about a nanosecond
(yes I too am one of the priviliged 'Broadband Britons'!

3. Stealing the sheet and the list as I mentioned before to go with my new History club I am planning to set up after Christmas when I have finished the current list of projects I have invented for myself!

[Dafydd Humphreys]

Thanking yee very much. That Nivea one did the trick. I've given the punters a choice of .doc or .pdf.

[Carole Faithorn]

Thanking yee very much. That Nivea one did the trick.

Neevia (not a moisturising cream)
Glad it worked OK

No chance of broadband out here in the sticks

[Andrew Field]

Excellent - good to know the hand cream worked

There are now quite a few online .pdf converters. As Carole says they are good for a few creations, but beyond that it becomes very laborious.

With the proper Acrobat it is installed as a printer. You use any program, select print, then choose Acrobat as the printer and print. A file menu appears and you save the .pdf document.

As for broadband, I'd given up hope to get it, but found that if BT gets enough enquiries at a certain exchange they roll it out. I didn't enquire every day, but I'm sure my occasional requests helped the roll out!

If you go to http://www.adslguide.org.uk/ there is a section called 'BT Demand Tracker Data'. Here it lists areas which don't have broadband, and you can see how close your area is to getting it.



Broadband certainly makes a huge difference, especially when downloading (or uploading) large files. The difference for normal internet use is noticable, but as you still have a pause for servers to respond, the difference on broadband isn't hugely different.

[Carole Faithorn]

If you go to http://www.adslguide.org.uk/ there is a section called 'BT Demand Tracker Data'.  Here it lists areas which don't have broadband, and you can see how close your area is to getting it.

No trigger level set yet for my exchange and only 24 (now 25 ) registrations of interest to date. Looks like being quite a while yet, then.

[Andrew Field]

Sorry

In the news sections on that site there is information about a town that got the local paper involved and forced broadband. You never know, we might be able to help with the registrations of interest...

[Carole Faithorn]

You never know, we might be able to help with the registrations of interest...

You don't mean fiddle the system ?

Let me know off the Board.

[Stephen Drew]

According to an article in Private Eye about this topic, the arm of BT that takes registrations of interest for ASDL or Broadband is not allowed to talk to the arm of BT that would actually install the systems.

Therefore the part of BT that would install the systems is not allowed to do so based on information about how many people have registered an interest in having it.

This is a result of the anti-monopoly legislation passed at the time of BT's privatisation.

End of message from the news nerd!