Spambots in PDFs

Can spambots harvest e-mail addresses from PDF files?

[cdarling]

One the the options I'm considering for protecting my readers' e-mail addresses is to publish certain pages in PDF rather than HTML. But will that stop spambots from harvesting the e-mail addresses in the PDFs?

Thanks!

[richlowe]

Nope.

[wilderness]

But will that stop spambots from harvesting the e-mail addresses in the PDFs

Completely stop that possibility?
No.

Slow them down greatly?
Most assuredly yes!

1) Upon creating your pdf's implement the maximum 128-bit security settings.
2) Instead of naming the pdf's with a name, use a numbering system.
3) Upload the pdf's into a folder which is named for exclusion in your robot's text.

All these tools used together increase the possiblity of what you desire.