Date   : Thu, 05 Jul 2001 09:43:47 +0100
From   : "endie" <endie@...>
Subject: Re: Magazine test scans - Update

Mark Usher wrote:

> I have added an example scan of what jpeg compression does to a picture.
>
> http://members.magnet.at/marku/bbc/autest.htm
>
> Also considering the amount of visits to the page I am rather dissapointed
> at the amount of feedback so far. Please, I need everyones input on this.

It'll be a bit of a shame if you decide to take this non-standard route.  I
wonder if the lack of feedback is due to people doing what I did, and
following the link to the page, eagerly clicking the link to the Acorn User
cover page for some instant nostalgia, having the pc query what you want to
do with this strange file, reading that downloads and plug-ins are needed,
and (having had "fun" with badly implemented plug-ins from minor companies
before) closing the page.  And I am the sort of user who occasionally
recompiles my linux kernel to add features.

My bet is that this format won't take off.  People use jpgs (with their
ability to alter compression ratios), gifs (where lines rather than photos
are being used) or - increasingly - the png format.  And the fact that a
government project uses the djvu format sounds more like an argument
*against* than for its long term chances.  If I had listened to the
government I'd be an unemployed Comal programmer with a background on ICL
minicomputers...

You're definitely doing something very, very valuable here.  I'd hate to see
it languish because of the choice of a dead-end format.

Keith