Re: Coilcraft disconintues use of Remote Approach (Was : Document tracking in PDF)

On Sun, 11 Dec 2005 14:42:25 +0000, Al wrote:

> In article <1134248540.020915.73800@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
> "PeteS" <ps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> I sent a polite but firm missive to Coilcraft over their use of remote
>> approach which 'calls home' any time a PDF is opened.
>>
>> My original missive is:
>>
>> <<
>> Dear Coilcraft
>>
>> I am the principal design engineer of an electronics OEM company in the
>> UK (that company shall remain nameless). Your use of remote approach on
>> new datasheets is repugnant as nowhere does it tell me the datasheet,
>> when opened, will atempt to track my reading of the data***.
>>
>> I have decided that as you have been underhanded (by adding 'call home'
>> attributes without telling me about it), I shall delete CoilCraft from
>> my approved vendor list for all new designs, and design your parts out
>> completely if possible in existing designs.
>>
>> Your comments are appreciated.
>>
>> PS
>> >>
>>
>> Their webmaster responded thus:
>> <<
>> Peter,
>>
>> We experimented with the Remote Approach system but stopped using it.
>> Unfortunately, some PDF documents with the code are "out there" in
>> the field.
>>
>> I understand your concern and apologize for the inconvenience. If you
>> tell me which data *** you have, I will send you a replacement and
>> make sure that we are not inadvertently still distributing these.
>>
>> I am in the office today, so I can respond to you immediately.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> John Stellberg
>>
>> >>
>>
>> One can only wonder why they tried then discontinued. Perhaps they
>> found designers did not like it, but I really do not know.
>>
>> So, if you have an 'infected document', email
>> jstellberg_remove-this-antispam-AT-coilcraft-DONTSPAM-dotcom and he
>> will provide an uninfected replacement.
>>
>> Remove the obviously misformed parts.
>> Cheers
>>
>> PeteS
>>
>
> This is why I keep TCP/IP turned off except when I actually want to
> connect to the internet. If that is not feasible, then go to your hosts
> file and add the offending URL to it thusly:
>
> ad.doubleclick.net A 127.0.0.1
>
> This, for example, kills all attempts access that URL.
>
> Al

Also, I doubt the phone-home feature would work with ghostview, which is
what I normally use to read PDF's at home.

--Mac

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