We've all see those "Please consider the environment before printing this message" notes at the bottom of our emails -- and I for one am kind of baffled by people who do regularly print emails, although it must still happen. But late last month, the World Wildlife Foundation unveiled a project that takes the passive shaming of those emails to the next level.
The WWF released its very own file format: The WWF (of course). A variation on the ubiquitous PDF, .wwf files simply can't be printed.
From the home page of the .wwf file format:
Every day, entire forests are cut down to make paper. Paper that's senselessly used to print out documents all over the world: websites, emails, even entire books, in spite of the fact that it's easy to avoid printing by saving the document as a PDF. But even PDFs can sometimes also be printed out. So to stop unnecessary printing and encourage a new awareness about the use of paper, we've developed a new, green file format: WWF. A format that can't be printed out. A simple idea that saves trees. Join in. Decide for yourself which of your documents don't need printing -- and save them as WWF.
The format is only available in MacOS at this point (a Windows version is coming soon), but that only makes sense. Apple built their printing protocol off of Adobe's PDF format, so essentially since OSX first came out, Apple users have had the ability to "print" a PDF of documents rather than actually print them.
WWF files just take away one level of features, disabling the print option entirely, but it works in the same was as Apple's "Save as PDF" function works.
It's a reasonable idea, but because (at least as of this writing), .wwf files can't be opened by Preview, Apple's default (and small, processor-light) PDF reader, WWF files don't really make my life any easier.
But as a statement, and perhaps coupled with the Eco-Font, .wwf files could make a big difference, especially once it's ported to Windows and if/when companies make it a mandatory or preferred file format instead of PDFs.
Below is a short video from the WWF about the .wwf. What do you think? Are you a habitual document-printer who needs some kind of handcuff to keep you from printing? Or, even worse, are your coworkers habitual paper-wasters, and will this work to stop them? Let us know in the comments below the video.
First, it has nothing to do
First, it has nothing to do with "saving trees" it's all about viral marketing. The "driver" simply uses good old Adobe technology PLUS it adds a page of advertisement to your file. You can easily recreate the same "technology" with standard tools on ALL operating systems - without the ad, that is. Second, it is easily broken, online, with widely available tooling. Third, all the above has been admitted by the WWF. Don't be fooled!
This is idea is not really
This is idea is not really new. At least, when creating PDF's using Adobe Acrobat, you can always choose the Password Security option in the Properties dialog box and disable printing, which results in the File > Print menu item to be grayed out as well as the printer icon at the top of the page. However, some third party software may not honour this property.
The same can be done in Word.
The above is not a simple operation such as "Save as WWF", but it works. That said, a very user friendly way of removing the print property when saving documents could catch on with the public.
it's great that they are
it's great that they are trying to change, but maybe start by eliminating all the stickers they send out that we don't use?
I'm sorry but this is stupid.
I'm sorry but this is stupid. I was on board up until the introduction of the wwf file. I get how this format forces people to modify the behavior of compulsive printing but if you really want to print something out you can, they will find a way. I doubt that creating a new file format that needs to be adopted by companies & their users will supersede some individuals compulsive need for a hard copy. Most people print things out because they feel comfort & safety by having a hard copy or reading from a piece of paper. If WWF really wants to change this habit, they need to provide or show something that will create a better sense of safety & comfort, a better reward, than having a hard copy or reading off a piece of paper. This just seems like bad advertising. This comes from a former printaholic, in the 90s I use to print everything I wanted for reference or record purposes. Then I realized I was spending to much time & money on binders, paper, ink & circumventing some no print documents online (like some flash sites). So I figured out back then how to PDF everything I would like to keep. No more binders full of old papers. Now ink cartridges expire in my printer before they run out & one ream of paper lasts years. I feel smarter PDFing than printing. And if I need to take it with me, I put a copy of the PDF on my phone.
All you printaholics... you
All you printaholics... you have no clue about human behaviour. This is great idea because it will slow down and/or stop people who mindlessly print things and don't have the ability or interest to stop on their own. Just making it a LITTLE more difficult to print will save MEGATONS of paper. There are also plenty of reasons why content providers might want to make info available online but would rather not have lots of paper copies of their work floating around for distribution. Not to prevent it, but to discourage it. Although the name may change, this format will survive longer than your time on this earth, that's for sure.
"EVERY DAY entire forests are
"EVERY DAY entire forests are cut down to make paper."
Bullcrap. That would be 365 forests (minimum) got cut down this past year. Not possible.
Besides, every day, forests are PLANTED to make paper.
Morons.
there is an option at the top
there is an option at the top of this article to "print"...how ironic
Some things have to be
Some things have to be printed. That's just the way it is but if this persuades some people to stop and think once in a while about printing an unimportant email to remind them to call someone, which then goes in the bin. Then it is a good thing. Clearly creating important documents that you physically can't print isn't sensible but I don't think that's the idea or the point.
For every one you don't
For every one you don't print, I will print three.
Sarcasm: Great Idea! Now each
Sarcasm: Great Idea! Now each time we want to read the same page we will be consuming energy. Most computers aren't exactly frugal when it comes to power consumption, but who cares about those details right WWF?
Nice try to stay relevant... it must be really hard for WWF to stand out of the crowd when everyone nowadays is so concerned about the environment. -- That is why WWF needs to come out with some really stupid ideas once in a while, since reasonable ones don't get you anywhere and bright ones are, well, out of this minds league.
Wow, what a horrifically
Wow, what a horrifically stupid idea. What happens when you need that web document and the server holding it stops working? Yeah, keeping hard copies gets annoying and does waste paper but at least its a fail-safe against the worst happening. There has to be a better way.
Here in Mexico many
Here in Mexico many government applications must be filed online, then you receive a pdf form to print out and take in to the office. This includes proof you paid the bank the fee or fine in advance.
Great idea
Great idea
PRTSCRN FTW!
PRTSCRN FTW!
Tree farmers are farmers
Tree farmers are farmers too!!!
Seriously, these freaks would be pushing soylent green over tofu.
I just printed out every
I just printed out every article I can find about this ridiculous idea.
I'll be mailing the print outs to the WWF Monday. I suggest anyone else who finds the idea of taking away an individuals freedoms repulsive does the same.
make a screen cap then print
make a screen cap then print it. blam.
The .wwf format is not only
The .wwf format is not only an intrinsically stupid idea. It is also environmentally UNFRIENDLY. I explained both these issues one week ago at http://stop.zona-m.net/2010/12/save-as-wwf-no-thanks/
I think this is a stupid
I think this is a stupid idea. Why make it so you can't print? Theres countless other ways to circumvent this and end up printing. It's just going to make life harder if it becomes the default format, and why should I not be able to print a PDF if i need to for an essay, journal, etc? I dont think this will make any difference in the printing process, just more people being annoyed and ways will be found around this.
i will not support this new format, even if i am for recycling and the environment.
Way to make an annoying
Way to make an annoying format that takes away users choices and can always be circumvented.
Have you ever thought about why some people make dead tree backups? Of course not, you are too worried about them using up a renewable resource. Yes, that's right, paper grows on trees (metaphorically speaking) and we can always grow more trees. Heck, we can even make paper from other plants if we want to.
I could go on for a long time about the pointlessness of trying to fragment the document arena further by introducing an unwanted format to the people that won't use, or may even ban it, and numerous other issues with this idea, but instead I'll just leave you with this:
EPIC FAIL !!!
Hear, hear!
Hear, hear!
Totally off subject of
Totally off subject of printing .wwf files. I find it interesting that the might Apple (which i loathe) based its printing off of ADOBE .pdf yet they are the ones who won't support ADOBE Flash. Why?
I don't think Apple 'based
I don't think Apple 'based its printing off of ADOBE .pdf', rather, as Apple states, "Built-in support for the PDF format means you can view or create PDFs from almost any application in the system." It's more tied in with the graphics portion of Apple's Quartz/Quartz Extreme.
And having built-in support for viewing/printing .pdf files doesn't really have anything to do with Adobe Flash.
FYI Apple OF COURSE 'supports flash', just not on its mobile devices. The reasons for this (instability, battery drain etc) are thoroughly covered in many tech articles. My desktop Mac has no issues at all with Flash, though I turn it off for most web sites as it is usually just so much fluff and unnecessary.
> the whole idea that this
> the whole idea that this format will be used is incredibly, and rather stupidly, ambitious.
I don't think that's really the point. It's more about sending a message. It just gets you thinking about how ridiculous it is to send documents you downloaded from the Internet to a printer. Especially today when we have notebooks, iPads, and book readers.
You can fix the problem
You can fix the problem you're having with WWF files not opening in Preview with the following AppleScript. Copy and Paste this into AppleScript Editor and then Save it with the file format "Application". Then just drop your WWF files on the application you just made and they will be tagged as PDF and then both Preview and QuickLook will handle them correctly.
on open theFiles
tell application "Finder"
repeat with theFile in theFiles
set the file type of theFile to "PDF "
end repeat
end tell
end open
I only print when I need to.
I only print when I need to. Sorry, I wont support this file format. I will not conform to this reality.
I almost never print PDF.
I almost never print PDF. thats what my ereader is for if I need to take it with me.
but I do not agree with anyone DICTATING to me what I can and can not do. hacking these files is crazy easy and worst case scenario you hit print screen.
You know, I'm all for going
You know, I'm all for going green, but I will print on of these things just to spite them.... oh wait, that means I need to buy a printer... dang.
Is it true that entire
Is it true that entire forests are cut down every day to make paper? I thought the paper companies grew their own trees in tree farms, so if we didn't buy the paper then the trees wouldn't exist in the first place?
You don't need any special
You don't need any special software to print these files. Any standard ghostscript viewer will do it. It is irresponsible and inaccurate to report that these files "simply can't be printed". Do your research before you write!
Lotus Notes had/has a setting
Lotus Notes had/has a setting in emails and documents that prevented copying of text, or printing of the document... this was introduced back in the mid 90's!
Besides the fact anyone aware
Besides the fact anyone aware of this format will also be aware of the countless ways to bypass the no-print 'feature', the whole idea that this format will be used is incredibly, and rather stupidly, ambitious.
The fact that the files can't even be opened in preview is a joke in itself. It's like making a new image file type '.abc' which doesn't open in photo preview/viewing programs and cannot be printed. Useless is the word I'm looking for.
If this file extension ever did take off (touch wood it doesn't - pun intended), I'd put money on 20 .WWF printing programs being released and the term 'how to print .wwf' being the first Google suggestion quicker than you can say 'save the trees'.
One word for the World Wrestling Fou... sorry, the World Wide Fund for Nature - ~naivety~.
Type "wiki WWF" into Google and see what's up top. At least the public still have their priorities set straight.
how to print .wwf use your
how to print .wwf use your prtscn (print screen) button on keyboard go to photoshop edit paste and print. you cant stop information no matter the form.