I do write in Word for some of my articles, and I'm not the only one. Keep in mind it has legitimate uses. To my mind even good uses. Because some people don't like it doesn't mean it should be banned. Like it or not, it is a legitimate file format that can be accessed in Windows or Linux (open office).

Of course .doc has legitimate uses. That is not the question at all. I use it all the time at work myself. It is the standard in the government and at most businesses. We email it back and forth and transfer in other ways, but always with a lot of security to back it up. It boggles my mind how it became such a standard given all the issues, but the business world makes decisions based on money (software cost plus learning curve and training) and not technical suitability. So there it is and you can't really fight it.

However, we still don't have an answer from the mods/staff/owner of the site about the scanning features in place for files posted here. We are always taught to not open files that can have macros and scripts if we don't trust the source. So, can we trust the source here? I'll open a .doc file from you Bill anytime, but I hesitate to open from a one time poster. Is my fear rational, or not? I'm still not sure, but if I'm not sure, I'm not going to open it.

 

It's OK, I've stated my case, at this point it is in the hands of the system administrator. I would like to keep this site friendly to people new to computers as well as electronics.

What to do about someone who uploads a virus is a different matter. I'm a lot less friendly when it comes to that. Never had it happen at this site though, which doesn't mean it can't.

 

I needed to create a .pdf file to distribute some documents to an email group(widely dispersed) and didn't have an adobe program that could CREATE them, only read them.

I spent all of 5 minutes looking on Google and out of the dozens of choices I selected 'Cutepdf'. I had it downloaded and installed in less than three minutes. Now when I go to print anything, the cutepdf software shows up as another printer, which I can choose to use.

.doc files are considered toxic and I will not open them unless they are from somebody I trust completely and only when I am expecting the file to come to me. If one just shows up unexpectedly I delete it.

Those are my two cents of added conversational value

 

Perhaps a compromise could be reached?
Continue to allow the upload of .doc's, but when a user attempts to upload one have a notice appear informing them of the incompatibility risk of .doc files and that some users will not choose to use them, inform them of the magical PDF format, and give them the option to continue upload or to upload in a different format.

 

Perhaps a compromise could be reached?
Continue to allow the upload of .doc's, but when a user attempts to upload one have a notice appear informing them of the incompatibility risk of .doc files and that some users will not choose to use them, inform them of the magical PDF format, and give them the option to continue upload or to upload in a different format.

That's a very good idea if it can be implemented.

 

@ Strantor - and because people are killed in automobile accidents do you ban cars?

@ steveb - "So, I think that there is a real value to this thread,..." Value to this thread, yes. I agree. Discussing topics is a valuable thing. But to the end that you come to a reasonable solution, even to agree to disagree on controversial matters. But simply ban something because a few have some objection to it - NOT A SOLUTION rather an imposed opinion. If people are afraid of doc files let them have the personal resolve to not open them. If some are not that paranoid let them use doc files at their discretion. If some are unaware of the hazard perhaps an educational e-book on the topic could serve to help them learn. Doc files are one of the most common file types in the world used to communicate.

"removing the .doc format from the list of supported file types" If that is your solution you might want to ban other objectional uses of this valuable forum. What will that lead to?

++1 to magnet18! Doesn't that fit better into the purposes of an educational forum?

 

@ Strantor - and because people are killed in automobile accidents do you ban cars?

@ steveb - "So, I think that there is a real value to this thread,..." Value to this thread, yes. I agree. Discussing topics is a valuable thing. But to the end that yop come to a reasonable solution, even to agree to disagree on controversial matters. But simply ban something because a few have some objection to it - NOT A SOLUTION rather an imposed opinion. If people are afraid of doc files let them have the personal resolve to not open them. If some are not that paranoid let them use doc files at their discretion. If some are unaware of the hazard perhaps an educational e-book on the topic could serve to help them learn. Doc files are one of the most common file types in the world used to communicate.

"removing the .doc format from the list of supported file types" If that is your solution you might want to ban other objectional uses of this valuable forum. What will that lead to?

++1 to magnet18! Doesn't that fit better into the purposes of an educational forum?

There are plenty of things already baned on this forum, what will one more hurt?

If a poster dosen't want his question answered, thats his/her prerogative. But the best response for help will come from not using .doc files.

Magnets idea is the best so far!

 

@ Strantor - and because people are killed in automobile accidents do you ban cars?

That's taking it a little far. That would be like banning the entire forum. No, we don't ban cars, but we ban the lack of seatbelts - a measure I don't agree with; which would be along the same lines as banning.doc files or mandating users to carry antivirus.

on the topic of forced opinions...
The world is full of forced opinions, most laws are just that. It's only common opinion that you shouldn't kill people, not fact. Why is it illegal for gays to marry? because common opinion dictates that the law should dictate that it be illegal.

++1 to magnet18! Doesn't that fit better into the purposes of an educational forum?

well we can agree on that.

 

@ steveb - "So, I think that there is a real value to this thread,..." Value to this thread, yes. I agree. Discussing topics is a valuable thing. But to the end that you come to a reasonable solution, even to agree to disagree on controversial matters. But simply ban something because a few have some objection to it - NOT A SOLUTION rather an imposed opinion. If people are afraid of doc files let them have the personal resolve to not open them. If some are not that paranoid let them use doc files at their discretion. If some are unaware of the hazard perhaps an educational e-book on the topic could serve to help them learn. Doc files are one of the most common file types in the world used to communicate.

"removing the .doc format from the list of supported file types" If that is your solution you might want to ban other objectional uses of this valuable forum. What will that lead to?

It's clear you did not read all of my posts carefully and you're going just a little over the top with this response. I didn't say we should ban them at any point, I was IMPLYING that maybe we should consider banning them if the mods/staff ultimately said that files are not scanned and that they are just as risky as if you found them anywhere else on the internet.

Note that you made your response a full day after I agreed with magnet18 that a simple notification to the person posting the file is enough, which means that I've already acknowledged that there is a better solution than banning (which I never claimed was the right solution), if it can be implemented.

If you really carefully read my posts you would have gleaned the fact that I don't really care for my own sake, but am concerned that people who start a thread (and use a .doc file) wont realize that their posts are being ignored by a significant percentage of the members, simply because they are using a .doc file, which could just as easily have been posted as a .pdf file. That's a real problem that deserves a solution. Also, if there is danger from the file type, that is worth a solution too.

Sure, I can just NOT open the files, which is exactly what I've always done and will continue to do. It makes no real difference to me, but now that the subject has come up, I choose to voice an opinion on the subject. A quick solution is banning the file type (which I never said should be done), which will not significantly impact anyone with half a brain still functioning. A better solution is to give notice to people who post the file, and give notice to the members about what safeguards are implemented (or not) by AAC.