And sometimes, I go to a web site, and I want something I can keep as a reference, print out and read at the coffee shop, or hand to somebody.

I agree that PDFs and PowerPoints can be a lazy way to avoid doing actual web content, but they have a role.

Generally any "never do this!" rule is going to be off base!

PDFs do not have to be printed to be read on the web.

PowerPoint can be configured to include a lot more copy.

People do come to your web site that may not know you well so they do need relivent information.

People do like to print or save files (PDF) so they can read it when they have more time and can concentrate on learning.

People also like to be able to share information and a PDF is great for sharing.

Perhaps your reaction is more about people using information that has no relevance and pictures that have nothing to do with the information being presented.

Harry

Yes,I hate it when I do a search on the web to find the only links provided are PDF's thankfully these can be translated to plain next by the search engines more than they used to however PDF's do have their place. My business does both web development and print design. a lot of the companies I do work for want to keep some of their orginal newsletters intact as a resource people can print off intact and put cork board, pass on, etc. No I don't think these should be there as a substitute for web content but often items do need to be made available in their original print form like, eBooks, official forms, etc.

I agree with the previous comments: PDFs have an important role on our sites and meet the wants of some of our readers and our clients.

My philosophy of content is to recognize that we communicate and receive communications in a variety of ways. Saying never use xyz tool is a mistake and unfair to our readers.

Basic rule: Be mindful of your visitor's time and their perceived pain of content acquisition and consumption.

PDFs are wonderful as a packaged medium. And they are greatly enhanced with interactive elements created with Acrobat (the program, not the reader).
I've created PDFs that act like web pages and I look forward to some of the even greater multimedia and form applications possible.

Critique/analysis should be directed toward the entire environment and context pdfs are accessed and used.

White papers, presentations, and reports are well-suited because we can focus the viewer on the subject matter, allow easy printing, forward to others, and archive.

Brochures are middle ground; sometimes a short content length warrants no interruption to the visitors workflow. Other times if graphical elements take a very important role (as in product brochures), PDFs can be a fantastic complement.

I have this machine that sits on the side of my desk. it's called a printer. It's a very useful tool when I want to taked something I see onscreen and take a hardcopy with me. Of course you could probably print out a web page directly, bu tit never formats correctly. PDF's usually print just like you see them on screen.

What if I know I'm going someplace where I know I won't have web access, but I want to read the information that's being presented to me? Downloading a PDF allows this.

Do PDFs have their place in all applications? No, but they are still a useful too.

While there are some situations where I like the PDF format from a user perspective, including academic papers, eBooks and white papers, the PDF library should ideally be a resource used by a site rather than its sole or primary method of content delivery.

Visitors should be presented with the options to save PDF files where and if they make sense based on the usability patterns of the site and the business model.

Ideally, the decision to include printable collateral material in PDF format on a site should be made because customers use and want the material in that format. I suspect that this is more common in B2B applications.

I agree that the design for printable PDF should be tailored for the medium. Huge graphics, large blocks of color with reverse type and other traditionally-used elements in printed collateral don't always reproduce well on a local printer, but they do use a lot of ink.

I agree with my colleagues who say there's a place for PDF's. There are all kinds of documents that are best printed and read at my leisure - especially anything long-winded. Then I appreciate it when they're written using a serif font.

OK, maybe I was a bit hard on the poor PDF, but not really. Whenever I mention the word PDF in front of an audience, I am guaranteed a moan.

Sure, PDF is useful if you need to print stuff out. But it is abused and abused and abused. It's cheap, it's fast; it's the lazy way out. It's a great way to pump lots of useless content onto a website.

This just comes back to communication basics: Know your audience -- what are they trying to do?, what type of info so they need at what point?, what are they going to do with it?, etc. Sometimes, delivering info online fast is best, sometimes the content will be more useful if it's provided in a PDF.

When it comes to the interface, if you are going to post info as a PDF, then LET THE USER KNOW it will be a PDF. Don't let them click on what looks like a link to a web page only for a PDF download to begin. You don't know how their browser is configuired. Let them know what they will get when they click on something.

Gee... to just dismiss .PDF's like that?
Give me your address and I will be happy to send you
a quill and some papyrus I go laying someone around here...
Just like websites, I guess sometimes bloggers just have to "fill" with some kind of content.
You're beginning to sound like TV news to me -- shock and
agitate... zzzzzzzzzzz

Click!

Changed the channel.

While I have some biases against PowerPoint... as a designer, working in PowerPoint as a medium is rather like typing a research paper with your toes. Possible, but darn difficult to end up with a really good product.
I do have to agree that PDFs and even PowerPoints have their place in the online world. Yes, it is annoying and disrespectful of the audience's time to not give them any alternative to downloading beefy PDF files. Yes, bad, poorly-produced, cheesily-animated PPT shows abound. But... in addition to the take-along and prints-properly benefits already mentioned, PDFs are, by their nature, device/browser/platform independent. It is often the most reliable way to share information across operating systems, different (and constantly evolving) browsers, and to provide an easy way for those who find the info on the web to share it. Best to gear your content, and your content formats, to the needs of your audience.