It does seem to be a big challenge to make data available both in analyzed, "crunched" format for readers of a report (in which case PDF is usually fine), and i

It does seem to be a big challenge to make data available both in analyzed, "crunched" format for readers of a report (in which case PDF is usually fine), and in "raw" format for analysts and developers (in which case one of CSV flatfile, JSON or XML is usually the best format). Too often, people don't seem to recognize the difference. The internet isn't just about software and protocols, it's also about the data. Sharing data is kind of the whole point of networking, so making your data available in a machine-parseable format is so important.