[geeks] encrypted video cable?

Charles Shannon Hendrix shannon at widomaker.com
Mon Oct 30 14:44:27 CST 2006


Mon, 30 Oct 2006 @ 14:53 -0500, der Mouse said:

> >>> For a current look at that: did you guys know that many PDF files
> >>> online cause your PDF viewer to phone home whenever you read the
> >>> document?
> >> No, and I don't believe it, either.
> > PDF added JavaScript with networking some time ago.
> > A lot of documents phone home now when you read them.
> > If you don't believe it, well... that's your choice.
> 
> A lot of documents try; that I'm perfectly willing to believe.
> 
> That they actually succeed in doing so, that I'm not.

Why?

Unless you turn it off or block it, it's fairly trivial for them to
connect to the outside.

What makes you think they don't succeed?

> >> If they do, I have a bug to (report and) fix in GhostScript.
> > GhostScript has nothing to do with it.
> 
> GhostScript has everything to do with it.  The remark said "your PDF
> viewer", and my PDF viewer is GhostScript.

What version of GhostScript will view PDF files?

I have version 8.15.3 and it won't do it.

I think what you mean is that some PDF viewers use it as the rendering
engine, which has *NOTHING* to do with the phone home part.

That's done in the scripting engine, if present.

Adobe Reader, obviously, fully supports the PDF spec. I don't know if
any of the other do or not. I know a lot of them leave out at least a
few features.



-- 
shannon "AT" widomaker.com -- ["Work for something because it is good, not
just because it stands a chance to succeed." -- Vaclav Havel]



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