I actually had a couple late issues of "Whole Earth Catalog", but my real inspiration came from "Popular Electronics" (my first "computer" was a COSMAC ELF base

I actually had a couple late issues of "Whole Earth Catalog", but my real inspiration came from "Popular Electronics" (my first "computer" was a COSMAC ELF based on the RCA 1802 uProcessor) and "Radio Electronics". Later Jack Crenshaw's column in "Embedded Systems Programming" was instrumental in teaching me about powerful but efficient algorithms ... something I still practice today. I suspect you're asking about the current generation ... I don't want to put words in the "youngsters" mouths but I'm happy to see that the DIY spirit is alive and well. It's something we can all agree on!