Zine – an simple and opinionated tool to build your own magazine | Hacker News Reader

Zine – an simple and opinionated tool to build your own magazine

github.com

115 pointsmaydemir22 comments

I have a pet peeve when someone names a technology like this. A zine is an existing concept for cheap printed magazine like material. When you name your tech the exact same thing then there's no differentiation when I search something like "Zine how to".

Not only that, but when I read the headline I got really excited it could help generate Zines.

I'm not saying every project needs to match the name on the tin, but all the zines I've read have wacky page layouts, quirky pictures and articles, and a lot of personality.

This project seems to take content and turn it into really bland flat design with social media style scrolling of thumbnails. Every page has elements perfectly aligned. And, at least in the one example they shared, even the colors are really boring.

https://2d2d.io/

If you want a relevant example, 2600 magazine does a good job of giving each page a unique feel and keeping that hacker spirit alive from it and it's articles.

Adding features like a sitemap and RSS to https://mmm.page/ seems like a much better way to get something zine-like.

That website builder is awesome! As you say, very zine-like. I would have loved to make my site with it.... :(

Awesome share... A real original website designer!

> Not only that, but when I read the headline I got really excited it could help generate Zines

I did too, but I kind of figure it had more to do with playing with pen plotters. Would be cool to generate an old school 70s/80s/90s zine from a tool.

This may not be relevant, but Zachtronics (a known programming puzzle game dev) nearly always includes zines in the games, and they feel unique and quirky as you say.

E.g the exapunks "Trash world news" zine: https://imgur.com/a/TZEZx7N (or https://exazines.mattmerr.com/zine01.html)

https://www.zachtronics.com/

It is weird, because this is really just a static website generator. It's not a zine or magazine creator by any measure.

I love this kind of stuff. Back in the day Big Nerd Ranch made a Mac app to create printed versions of these. I used to use it all the time.

Here is the source code: https://github.com/robrohan/PagePacker

Looks like this project just needs to add add a print feature and it’d be on target.

The Big Nerd Ranch. Omg how this brings back nostalgia. I drove (at the time) 20 hours to Georgia to a remote location and spent an intensive heads down week coding and not sleeping. The whole team was quite memorable.

It's a lost battle I fear: Java is not coffee; Swift is not to move quickly; an Apple is not something you eat; 'C' is not a letter of the alphabet; Google is not a large number; Python, Pelican, and Gnu are not animals, and so on ...

Like Windows(TM)?

We live in a world where everyone and their dog (sometimes literally) fights for your attention. If you are trying to advertise something comparable to a blog or magazine creation software, add a screenshot on what to expect at least.

Are there any example magazines that are in English?

From what I skimmed over, looks like another word to describe traditional blogs. Seems like an alternative to Hugo, Ghost or Wordpress.

Xerox – a simple and opinionated tool to build your own zine

Z-eye-n or z-ee-n?

I know its from magazine but I always default to z-eye-n pronunciation.

One million percent /zeen/ (from someone who has been making and trading zines for almost 30 years). Just a few https://bobdoto.computer/ZINES-1

I've never heard anyone say Z-I-N. Zeen.

I've always said zeen, because of magazine.

It's technically pronounced z-ee-n (because it's short for magazine) but lots of people who aren't familiar with the origin and/or learned the word online say z-eye-n and it doesn't do them any harm. Both pronunciations are usually understandable from context.

I always pronounce it as z-eye-n

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