Re: Adobe Reader 10

[Jean Louis]

* Arthur Torrey <arthur_torrey@comcast.net> [2021-03-17 23:35]:
> I don't like suggesting a Service as a Software Substitute, but I
> have found a "Free-as-in-beer" service called "PDF-Zorro" that has
> worked for me on editing PDF forms that I couldn't accomplish
> otherwise...

>From a view point of having control over users' data that is no go. I
would not use that.

> They claim that they don't collect personal info, retain the files
> you put on their server for editing, or do other evil things.  They
> appear to be doing the free service as a way to promote their paid
> offerings.

Yeah, right, those statements are for devoted religious people to
believe in.

Service as a Software Substitute takes away users' freedom:
https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/who-does-that-server-really-serve.html

"Service as a Software Substitute (SaaSS) means using a service as a
substitute for running your copy of a program. Concretely, it means
that someone sets up a network server that does certain computing
activities—for instance, modifying a photo, translating text into
another language, etc.—then invites users to let that server do their
own computing for them. As a user of the server, you would send your
data to the server, which does that computing activity on the data
thus provided, then sends the results back to you or else acts
directly on your behalf.

What does it mean to say that a given computing activity is your own?
It means that no one else is inherently involved in it. To clarify the
meaning of “inherently involved”, we present a thought
experiment. Suppose that any free software you might need for the job
is available to you, and whatever data you might need, as well as
computers of whatever speed, functionality and capacity might be
required. Could you do this particular computing activity entirely
within those computers, not communicating with anyone else's
computers?

If you could, then the activity is entirely your own. For your
freedom's sake, you deserve to control it. If you do it by running
free software, you do control it. However, doing it via someone else's
service would give that someone else control over your computing
activity. We call that scenario SaaSS, and we say it is unjust."

Jean