PDFMaker.OfficeAddin - changing Office 365 application configuration without user consent

[Mike35497488gnun]

Hi there,

So today I noticed that the "Export" option disappeared from my Office 365 applications, and was replaced by "Save as Adobe PDF". I assume this behaviour is the result of a recent update to Adobe Acrobat Reader. Of course, one can only "Save as Adobe PDF" once a month, the lovely little pop-up message says, unless one upgrades to Acrobat Pro!

Hey, Adobe: YOU DIDN'T ASK.

I'm happy to export in the OpenPDF format, thank you very much.

You guys make great software (really, among the best), but don't go changing configurations in other applications without warning the user. Who among the average user base is going to know to find COM Add-ins from the Options dialog of each Office 365 application, individually, and disable or uninstall your little hijack add-in?

It seriously looks like Adobe is hoping users won't be clever enough to figure that out (or to use Microsoft's Print-to-PDF driver), and may score some additional sales with it.

Adobe, you're better than this.

Change your own software to your heart's content (and I realise the Add-in is your software, and somewhere in the fine print we've all agreed to this...). But seriously: don't enable an add-in that fundamentally changes behaviour in non-Adobe applications that people use almost daily without a pop-up or something at least letting users know. (Or better yet: don't do it at all.)

[ravinderg62643219]

Hi @Mike35497488gnun 

Thanks for posting your query to Adobe. I would like to let you know that this is an intended change in Reader in recent release. Could you please share a screenshot of the export option that got disappeared for you. We would like to understand more on this issue.

Regards

Ravi

[Mike35497488gnun]

Hi Ravi,

Thanks for writing back. I had assumed it was an intended change. It is an intended change that I disagree with very much.

Herewith the screenshots.

1. What Word's "Export to PDF" function looked like before the recent Adobe changes.

2. What Word's "Export-to-PDF" was replaced with after recent Adobe changes.

Note: the user was not asked whether they wanted an Adobe Add-in baked into Word, and replacing Word's built-in PDF export function--a function which works great and doesn't need any help from any plugin.

Not only does it work great, but it comes without this:

3. Adobe's advert

 You guys replaced perfectly functional PDF export within Word for a try-before-you-buy plug-in. Users who don't know better think they can no longer export unless they pay Adobe.

4.  Getting rid of that rubbish: 

This is the option I unticked in Word's settings to get rid of the unasked-for Adobe add-in.

So, here's the thing. Adobe Acrobat Reader is awesome. Adobe Acrobat Pro is great.

But, you do not go changing people's configurations of other software, including by some add-in, without explicitly announcing that in the first place. And, better, providing an opt-out.

Like I said earlier, I'm sure it's legal based on something somewhere in the 20 pages of fine print. But that doesn't make it cool. Because, that was very uncool. Change Reader all you want. But don't go adding plug-ins to other pieces of software without asking first; that is WAY out of line.

[ravinderg62643219]

Hi @Mike35497488gnun ,

Thanks for sharing the requested info. Please note that  Export option is not removed but pushed down in the list. You can scroll and get the export option.

[Mike35497488gnun]

Hi ravinderg62643219,

Thanks for the clarification. I had indeed missed it, because on my screensize it was pushed down under "More..." which normally only has "Account," "Feedback," and "Options". So one wouldn't expect it to be there, and the assumption that it's been replaced is understandable even though incorrect.

Also, even if a user did happen to find the original "Export," Adobe has inserted itself as primary here as well:

...all without any prior warning to the user.

Which is the point. Nice that the original functionality in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint didn't disappear. But Adobe inserted options in the UI that pushed it out of view, hiding it for the average user and making it appear (whether Adobe "meant to" or not) that one can no longer export to PDF without paying for Pro.

It's simply not an ok thing to do. Not. Cool.