Thursday, April 10, 2008

Issuu - A Web-based pdf viewer for technical authors?



Issuu is a Web site that allows you to upload magazines or newsletters and then view them as interactive, magazine-style online publications in your Web browser. It's a free service and has been described as a YouTube for magazines. There are a few manuals on it already.

The Issuu document is presented in a way that looks similar to a magazine. You can easily flip through it, using the arrow buttons, page numbers, the 'dock' below it, or the index.

Readers can comment on the documents, bookmark them, add authors to favourites or subscribe to them in a RSS newsreader.

Although it is geared towards glossy magazines, it could have uses for technical communicators. My initial thoughts are where you want readers to look and comment on a document, but you don't want them to download it, or where you want your document to look striking visually. The navigation isn't perfect, however.

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