Make It Yourself (makeityourself.org)

Article summary

The article presents a digital book called 'Make it Yourself' that showcases over 1000 DIY projects, each linking to its original project website. The book is available for free and aims to inspire people to create things themselves. The projects are presented in a PDF format, which has sparked discussion about the suitability of this format. The book's purpose is to demonstrate the possibilities of DIY projects and provide a source of inspiration.

Main themes

• DIY projects
• Digital book format
• PDF limitations
• Accessibility
• Self-contained documents
• Portability

What commenters say

• The PDF format is not ideal for a digital book that links to external websites, as it can become outdated and useless if the links break.
• The self-contained nature of PDFs is a significant advantage, as they can be easily transferred between devices and read without an internet connection.
• The PDF format is not suitable for small screens, such as phones, due to its fixed layout and lack of reflowability.
• Some argue that the PDF format is perfect for preserving the original layout and design of the document, even if it means sacrificing comfort on smaller screens.
• Others suggest that a more accessible format, such as HTML, would be more suitable for a digital book that aims to inspire and provide information.
• The portability of PDFs is debated, with some arguing that it refers to the ability to view the document on any device, while others believe it should mean being able to comfortably view the document on most systems.
• The use of PDFs can be seen as a trade-off between preserving the original design and layout, and providing a comfortable reading experience on various devices.
• Some commenters propose alternative solutions, such as using QR codes or adding interactive elements to the PDF, to improve its usability and accessibility.