TIFF Plug-Ins and USPTO

[Karen G. Schneider]

We too "need" a TIFF plug-in, in the sense that if we don't install one
we'll be depriving our patrons access to the USPTO database.  But I have
been glowering for a month over this.  Why did USPTO choose this format?
Was there any sense that this would create a barrier to access?  Is there a
*need* to offer these images in TIFF?  (Having worked in the federal library
world, and spent over ten years in federal service of one kind or another,
there is a part of me that suspects "contractor-driven" and
"lowest-bidder.")

The straw on this lil' camel's back is the comment, "PTO cannot and will not
provide direct user support for TIFF image display or printing beyond the
provision of hyperlinks to known free TIFF browser plug-ins from our
"Document Formats" Web page." O.k., they cannot be support desk to the
world.  Then--don't pick an image format that practically demands it!

Finally, those crabby questions aside, if you are using a TIFF viewer *and*
Fortres 101 *and* NT 4.0 or Win2K Prof (or if you are using NTFS batch files
for security and have savvied which files need to be excepted beyond the
executable), do tell.

Grinchily grumbling,

Karen G. Schneider kgs at bluehighways.com
Assistant Director for Technology
Shenendehowa Public Library, NY
www.shenpublib.org