Comments on: Review of Ready Made magazine http://www.chrishardie.com/blog/2008/12/review-of-ready-made-magazine.html Personal Blog for James Christopher Hardie Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:56:15 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Dana http://www.chrishardie.com/blog/2008/12/review-of-ready-made-magazine.html/comment-page-1#comment-87202 Dana Tue, 03 Feb 2009 20:17:51 +0000 http://www.chrishardie.com/blog/?p=474#comment-87202 I just got a "please come back to ReadyMade -- 2 years for 1" thing with a free copy of the mag in the mail and I almost considered it because it was so cheap, but then I thought -- why waste the paper? There's a reason I quit getting it, which is that it morphed into a consumerist propaganda piece of crap. It started out different, by the way. Now I just get my jollies with internet sites on DIY, like Instructables, Make Magazine (a friend's subscription), and Dwell (I just like it). And Simple magazine -- what a joke! Nothing Simple about it. I just got a "please come back to ReadyMade -- 2 years for 1" thing with a free copy of the mag in the mail and I almost considered it because it was so cheap, but then I thought -- why waste the paper? There's a reason I quit getting it, which is that it morphed into a consumerist propaganda piece of crap. It started out different, by the way. Now I just get my jollies with internet sites on DIY, like Instructables, Make Magazine (a friend's subscription), and Dwell (I just like it). And Simple magazine -- what a joke! Nothing Simple about it.

]]> By: BrianY http://www.chrishardie.com/blog/2008/12/review-of-ready-made-magazine.html/comment-page-1#comment-87027 BrianY Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:01:40 +0000 http://www.chrishardie.com/blog/?p=474#comment-87027 Stephanie & I had the same reaction to "real simple," which premiered maybe five years ago (??). It was pretty much the exact same MO--a few articles championing simplicity whose message was completely negated by a colossal number of glossy ads for high-priced crap. I'm not much of a DIY-er, especially when it comes to electronics, but I've always been impressed by <a href="http://makezine.com/" rel="nofollow">Make magazine</a>. Stephanie & I had the same reaction to "real simple," which premiered maybe five years ago (??). It was pretty much the exact same MO--a few articles championing simplicity whose message was completely negated by a colossal number of glossy ads for high-priced crap.

I'm not much of a DIY-er, especially when it comes to electronics, but I've always been impressed by Make magazine.

]]> By: Melissa http://www.chrishardie.com/blog/2008/12/review-of-ready-made-magazine.html/comment-page-1#comment-86516 Melissa Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:29:47 +0000 http://www.chrishardie.com/blog/?p=474#comment-86516 I was also disappointed with this magazine. I always thought that the point of DIY was to save money and resources, but the projects they list are prohibitively expensive. I actually do like my subscription to <a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/" rel="nofollow">Mother Earth News</a>, which has lots of interesting DIY stuff that is actually usable. Lots of tips and tricks in each issue. Last month there were instructions on how to make a week's worth of bread dough in advance so that it takes 5 minutes a day to bake. Another really good resource for DIY stuff -- especially in the realm of domestic chores is the website <a href="http://tipnut.com/" rel="nofollow">tipnut.com</a>. You can find some fun projects on <a href="http://www.instructables.com/" rel="nofollow">instructables.com</a> -- some good, some crappy (it's all user submitted content). Finally, I recommend <a href="http://whipup.net/" rel="nofollow">whipup.net</a> and the etsy Storque (<a href="http://www.etsy.com/storque/" rel="nofollow">http://www.etsy.com/storque/</a>) for crafty & gift DIY stuff. I was also disappointed with this magazine. I always thought that the point of DIY was to save money and resources, but the projects they list are prohibitively expensive.

I actually do like my subscription to Mother Earth News, which has lots of interesting DIY stuff that is actually usable. Lots of tips and tricks in each issue. Last month there were instructions on how to make a week's worth of bread dough in advance so that it takes 5 minutes a day to bake.

Another really good resource for DIY stuff -- especially in the realm of domestic chores is the website tipnut.com. You can find some fun projects on instructables.com -- some good, some crappy (it's all user submitted content).

Finally, I recommend whipup.net and the etsy Storque (http://www.etsy.com/storque/) for crafty & gift DIY stuff.

]]> By: JCamasto http://www.chrishardie.com/blog/2008/12/review-of-ready-made-magazine.html/comment-page-1#comment-86506 JCamasto Fri, 12 Dec 2008 21:50:58 +0000 http://www.chrishardie.com/blog/?p=474#comment-86506 Kath used to get all the "stale" mags from the store (WFM) she worked, but was required to remove the covers before taking them home. So I'd arrive home to a pile of unknown mags (including: conventional propaganda, eco-slight greenwash, fringe screeds, and decent rags) all mixed up on the table - with little idea what to expect (or what was worth mining)... Then I found I could flip 'em all on their backs, and determine the "target demographic" from the prominent back cover ad. That is, <i>who paid most, and what they were hawking</i> made for a predictable quick & easy tell-tale... Try it out sometime! -Jim Kath used to get all the "stale" mags from the store (WFM) she worked, but was required to remove the covers before taking them home. So I'd arrive home to a pile of unknown mags (including: conventional propaganda, eco-slight greenwash, fringe screeds, and decent rags) all mixed up on the table - with little idea what to expect (or what was worth mining)...

Then I found I could flip 'em all on their backs, and determine the "target demographic" from the prominent back cover ad. That is, who paid most, and what they were hawking made for a predictable quick & easy tell-tale... Try it out sometime!

-Jim

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