*.chm file needs to connect to internet?

Discussion in 'other software & services' started by HandsOff, Aug 13, 2005.

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  1. HandsOff

    HandsOff Registered Member

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    I dont understand why this would be. even regular htm files can be read offline. I don't use these much, so I don't know. Is it normal for a compiled help file to not open if you are not connected to the net?

    -HandsOff
     
  2. ice60

    ice60 Guest

    i think it should open but just be blank, or have an error, if it's using a web page.
     
  3. HandsOff

    HandsOff Registered Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
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    Ice60 - You are so right, I was not specific enough. What happens is that I get the usual error message,

    The page cannot be displayed
    The page you are looking for is currently unavailable. The Web site might be experiencing technical difficulties, or you may need to adjust your browser settings...

    Maybe I am more paranoid than the average user, but when I see that message the first thing I think is that it is being blocked by my Hosts list, or some other protection against unsafe pages

    But what gets me is that --- I want to know before any program tries to connect to the internet. I am sort of appalled that a help file will take that liberty without asking to connect first. When it comes right down to it, I don't like any help files to access web pages. I would rather click on a link if I decide to, or, download offline content that will continue to be available as a reference long after that web page is gone.

    Anyway it's just my point of view, but I wish there were some way of knowing what these files were trying to do before they actually do them!

    Moving right along, I don't especially like the format of .chm documents with its topics, and indexes, and search. Why is it that I always navigate to the same paragraph over and over? Why is it that the information referenced is never more than what is contained in the index heading itself?

    Give me a good old fashioned document that I can skim, search, and organize! Okay, well, enough said.


    - HandsOf
     
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