For context since it's not mentioned on the website: This is a project by n-o-d-e[1], they make blog posts and videos about diy tech/mods. This specific project is described in [2].
They also have techno-optimistic YouTube channels that I love. There haven't been any new videos for a while, but some of the older ones are worth watching:
Why a PDF? The PDF is just pictures of things that link to an external site (Thingverse, various blogs, etc) where you find the actual instructions. The PDF itself doesn't contain instructions at all - just an index/catalog, really.
While I enjoy the content, I find myself surprisingly annoyed at choice of PDF as the format. It's the worst of both traditional and web publication modes; low accessibility AND low portability
This isn't the first time I've read a comment criticizing PDF, but it is the first time I can recall the Portable Document Format (PDF) being accused of low portability.
It's a strange choice to put a PDF with links on a website that contains just links.
Why don't put the links on the web site, as the web was invented to be used for? What's the benefit?
Had the same thought - it's also annoying to update the PDF once links die, so I doubt that'll happen often. I guess it might be helpful if you want it as a coffee table book...
Funny, I have a folder of links of this very stuff: Future rainy day projects. Oh, to have the free time and focus!
Good job on the illustrations and the cultivating of so many projects into one book. I think you've given me a lifetime of weekend projects!
One note: you might want to put 'download' in the link to the PDF, so it downloads instead of showing up in a new browser window, which seems to be your OG design choice:
<a href="https://makeityourself.org/MIY.pdf" download target="_blank"><div class="download">Download</div></a>
> One note: you might want to put 'download' in the link to the PDF, so it downloads instead of showing up in a new browser window
I strongly disagree with this suggestion. My browser is my PDF viewer, if I want to actually download the PDF I can do it after the browser renders it.
There are precious few situations where <a download> is appropriate for PDF files. This is certainly not one of them. The user probably wants to view the content, let them handle it however.
The experience of PDFs that insist on triggering a download is sufficiently unpleasant that I use a browser extension <https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/no-pdf-downlo...> that removes any `Content-Disposition: attachment` headers, and inserts `Content-Disposition: inline` headers, which in Firefox (but not Chrome, I believe) overrides even an <a download> attribute.
As the button says 'Download', I expect that result - a download. 'View PDF' would be the appropriate button name in your case... He can put two buttons that distinctly describe the resulting actions.
It’s one of the main reasons I use Notion.so and its extremely flexible “database” pages, I can quickly drop links into them, and expand as-needed with more details.
I use git repos for anything that gets far enough to warrant a folder with files, but only because I tend to swap computers too often to reliably maintain a fixed file directory, but along the way I found that “plain git + files” is a surprisingly effective foundation for a project/knowledge management system.
That's a pretty broad statement. Do you own any woodworking tools? Do you want to make furniture or do you want to make decorative pens on a lathe? How new to it are you?
I started with just a circular saw and a drill (would not now recommend [1]) and bought "handy panels" from the local big box store to make crappy book cases and such. I was very much demonstrating the aesthetic of the School of College-Dorm.
Eventually I got a table saw and started making MAME cabinets, dance pads, etc.
When I eventually started seeking out better quality plywood I began to make things like speaker enclosures (and better looking book cases).
I was getting into woodworking when television was still a thing so Norm Abram's "New Yankee Workshop" on PBS was my inspiration. Not only is a lot of that on YouTube now [2], but so too are hundreds of others uploading videos on woodworking. We live in a rich time when it comes to hobby how-to videos.
I think of YouTube sometimes more as inspiration ... where I want to get to. For example I like Paul Seller's videos [3] where he makes everything more or less with hand tools. Ishitani Furniture [4] is my where I wish I were.
But if videos are not your thing, archive.org is back and their Magazine Rack [5] has plenty of magazines on woodworking. Just look around.
[1] Forget the circular saw unless you're doing hime construction. Opt for an inexpensive "panel saw" instead — and also an 8' sheet of 1-inch-thick insulating foam to put down underneath the wood you'll be cutting on the floor of your basement or driveway.
What are the big differentiators between a circular saw and panel saw? I’m just getting into this stuff myself and have been using a circular saw and a Kreg track/guide system.
He's got a very nice approachable style (almost the Bob Ross of woodworking?) and has some great beginner videos, including guidance on which tools to prioritise (and deprioritise) at the start of the hobby. He also sells a course with plans for gradually increasingly challenging projects. No affiliation, just watched a lot of his videos when I was first getting started with woodworking.
There are also (as you'd expect) thousands of other Youtubers doing woodwork, too. Steve's just a great starting place.
Join a Makerspace (if you have one near you). Getting started with woodworking can be tough if you don't have the right tools. A makerspace likely gives you access to thousands of dollars worth of tools for the fraction of the price. It also likely has lots of people with more experience that are willing to help you learn.
You are missing time. Time will make the links break, and time will make the component parts harder to find, etc. Also, managing this catalog over time isn't glamorous enough for a headline or even a pretty picture. Economies change over time, and doesn't that go without saying?
It's interesting to consider the complaining about the PDF in this context. Using a paginated format and calling it book does quite a lot to state that it was created at a moment in time.
A resource, but also a particular end product, a piece of art.
It looks really cool, but is this more than a curated list of projects from various 3D model and DIY sites, with some sort of line art instead of the usual photos/STL renderings? I sometimes go explore nice models on those sites too for inspiration, but I don't really see the advantage of this presentation format.
As cool as this is, it seems a bit bare? Titles/descriptions are hidden away at the bottom of each page and all the renders are plain black and white (which makes me ask why pdf anyway?) without detailing purpose or use (where not obvious)
Readit News
[1]: https://n-o-d-e.net/
[2]: https://n-o-d-e.net/makeityourself.html
https://www.youtube.com/@NODEtv/videos
https://www.youtube.com/@MOSFETnet/videos
I think all of the videos have a written version on https://n-o-d-e.net/ for those who prefer that style of content.
Dead Comment
The two main pain points everyone said PDF had solved for documents, when it was introduced.
I expect that whatever was used to create the PDF could be configured to produce a website...
”For each entry in this PDF, follow the link and give a structured explanation of how to make the thing."
I don't know if any off-the-shelf tool is capable of that today though.
Good job on the illustrations and the cultivating of so many projects into one book. I think you've given me a lifetime of weekend projects!
One note: you might want to put 'download' in the link to the PDF, so it downloads instead of showing up in a new browser window, which seems to be your OG design choice: <a href="https://makeityourself.org/MIY.pdf" download target="_blank"><div class="download">Download</div></a>
I strongly disagree with this suggestion. My browser is my PDF viewer, if I want to actually download the PDF I can do it after the browser renders it.
There are precious few situations where <a download> is appropriate for PDF files. This is certainly not one of them. The user probably wants to view the content, let them handle it however.
The experience of PDFs that insist on triggering a download is sufficiently unpleasant that I use a browser extension <https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/no-pdf-downlo...> that removes any `Content-Disposition: attachment` headers, and inserts `Content-Disposition: inline` headers, which in Firefox (but not Chrome, I believe) overrides even an <a download> attribute.
I use git repos for anything that gets far enough to warrant a folder with files, but only because I tend to swap computers too often to reliably maintain a fixed file directory, but along the way I found that “plain git + files” is a surprisingly effective foundation for a project/knowledge management system.
Sidenote: I want to get started with wood working, can anyone recommend a resource?
I started with just a circular saw and a drill (would not now recommend [1]) and bought "handy panels" from the local big box store to make crappy book cases and such. I was very much demonstrating the aesthetic of the School of College-Dorm.
Eventually I got a table saw and started making MAME cabinets, dance pads, etc.
When I eventually started seeking out better quality plywood I began to make things like speaker enclosures (and better looking book cases).
I was getting into woodworking when television was still a thing so Norm Abram's "New Yankee Workshop" on PBS was my inspiration. Not only is a lot of that on YouTube now [2], but so too are hundreds of others uploading videos on woodworking. We live in a rich time when it comes to hobby how-to videos.
I think of YouTube sometimes more as inspiration ... where I want to get to. For example I like Paul Seller's videos [3] where he makes everything more or less with hand tools. Ishitani Furniture [4] is my where I wish I were.
But if videos are not your thing, archive.org is back and their Magazine Rack [5] has plenty of magazines on woodworking. Just look around.
[1] Forget the circular saw unless you're doing hime construction. Opt for an inexpensive "panel saw" instead — and also an 8' sheet of 1-inch-thick insulating foam to put down underneath the wood you'll be cutting on the floor of your basement or driveway.
[2] https://www.youtube.com/@newyankeeworkshop
[3] https://www.youtube.com/@Paul.Sellers
[4] https://www.youtube.com/@ISHITANIFURNITURE
[5] https://archive.org/details/magazine_rack
He's got a very nice approachable style (almost the Bob Ross of woodworking?) and has some great beginner videos, including guidance on which tools to prioritise (and deprioritise) at the start of the hobby. He also sells a course with plans for gradually increasingly challenging projects. No affiliation, just watched a lot of his videos when I was first getting started with woodworking.
There are also (as you'd expect) thousands of other Youtubers doing woodwork, too. Steve's just a great starting place.
A resource, but also a particular end product, a piece of art.
In all seriousness, I, too, immediately wanted to buy it for the coffee table and to thumb through for inspiration in an analog way.