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PDF explorations
PDF explorations


taking an '''Autoethnography''' approach to media
taking an '''Autoethnography''' approach<br>
(a hands on approach makes no sense, PDF is a '''portable document format''', not written as programming language as PostScript)


<blockquote>
<blockquote>
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"'''Autoethnography''' is a research method that uses personal experience (“auto”) to describe and interpret (“graphy”) cultural texts, experiences, beliefs, and practices (“ethno”)" -- [[User:Alessia/Diary/xpubone]]
"'''Autoethnography''' is a research method that uses personal experience (“auto”) to describe and interpret (“graphy”) cultural texts, experiences, beliefs, and practices (“ethno”)" -- [[User:Alessia/Diary/xpubone]]
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
(a hands on approach makes no sense, PDF is a '''portable document format''', not written as programming language as PostScript)


what do PDFs mean to us in our lives?
what do PDFs mean to us in our lives?

Revision as of 09:14, 28 January 2025

PDF explorations

taking an Autoethnography approach
(a hands on approach makes no sense, PDF is a portable document format, not written as programming language as PostScript)

"In ethnography, the researcher study cultural relational practices, common values and beliefs and shared experiences for the purpose of helping insiders and outsiders better understand the culture. By being a participant observer we take part in the cultural happening and can engage with them while drawing conclusions. Interviewing other members, observing and investigating spaces and observing artefacts like texts, movies and music are tools of research." -- User:AvitalB/thesis/research/autoethnography

"Autoethnography is a research method that uses personal experience (“auto”) to describe and interpret (“graphy”) cultural texts, experiences, beliefs, and practices (“ethno”)" -- User:Alessia/Diary/xpubone

what do PDFs mean to us in our lives?

Install yourself

Before we start, let's install some PDF manipulation tools:

prompt #1

  • find how many pdfs are saved on your computer, we can use python for this
  • get a list of filenames of all these pdfs
  • generate filename posters with PostScript and Python

prompt #2

  • pick one pdf from your computer
  • select one page, take one that represents the pdf somehow, or just one you like
  • extract this page from the pdf with pdftk
  • take 10 minutes to interview each other about this pdf: ask each other any kinds of questions about it! keep it short, 5 min each
  • make a pdf of the interview text in PostScript with Python

prompt #3

  • select 5 pdfs from your computer
  • use pdftotext and pdfimage and pdfinfo to extract material from these pdfs
  • make a selection of the materials: make a new folder, copy images in that you want to use, and make plain text (txt) files with text you want to use
  • make a new pdf with these materials using PostScript and Python

prompt #4

  • search for a pdf of a book
  • select one page from the book
  • make a visual pageborder in postscript ....
  • decorate your page and stamp your lovely pageborder onto your pdf with pdftk stamp
  • (you can do the whole book too with pdftk multistamp)

prompt #5

  • pdf imposition


Upload what you made to cerealbox here: /var/www/html/SI26/PDF/ so it appears at https://hub.xpub.nl/cerealbox/SI26/PDF/

We will pdfunite this into one PDF again!

(and compress it... because it will be large probably)