1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,540 Welcome everyone to our deep dive into Stirling PDF. If you're listening, you're 2 00:00:03,540 --> 00:00:03,760 probably 3 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:07,260 interested in learning more about this tool. And you've come to the right place. We've 4 00:00:07,260 --> 00:00:10,720 got articles, the official website, and even some insights from the GitHub page all 5 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:11,080 ready 6 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:13,920 to go. We're going to break it all down for you. Before we jump in, I want to give 7 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:14,160 a quick 8 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:17,860 shout out to our sponsor, Safe Server. Yeah, Safe Server is awesome. If you're 9 00:00:17,860 --> 00:00:18,040 looking 10 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:21,020 to host Stirling PDFs yourself or you need some help with your digital 11 00:00:21,020 --> 00:00:21,720 transformation 12 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:26,820 journey, you can definitely help you out. Check them out at www.safeserver.w. All 13 00:00:26,820 --> 00:00:27,160 right, 14 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:32,160 let's get into it. Our mission today is to figure out what makes Stirling PDF tick, 15 00:00:32,160 --> 00:00:32,160 what 16 00:00:32,160 --> 00:00:35,810 are its standout features, what are its strengths, and what should you keep in mind 17 00:00:35,810 --> 00:00:36,560 before diving 18 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:41,930 in? Sounds like a plan. So first things first, what exactly is Stirling PDF? Okay, 19 00:00:41,930 --> 00:00:42,520 so Stirling 20 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:46,990 PDF is basically a web application that you install on your computer or your own 21 00:00:46,990 --> 00:00:48,000 server. 22 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:51,120 That's the locally hosted part. Okay, so it's not like out there in the cloud 23 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:51,600 somewhere. 24 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:55,080 Right, exactly. Interesting, why is that such a big deal for people? Well, it's all 25 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:55,320 about 26 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:58,760 security and privacy. If you're working with sensitive information, the last thing 27 00:00:58,760 --> 00:00:58,920 you 28 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:02,230 want is your data floating around in the cloud where you don't have full control 29 00:01:02,230 --> 00:01:03,020 over it. 30 00:01:03,020 --> 00:01:06,650 That makes sense. The GitHub page actually has a quote that sums it up perfectly. 31 00:01:06,650 --> 00:01:06,840 Oh 32 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:11,390 yeah, let's hear it. All files and PDFs exist either exclusively on the client side 33 00:01:11,390 --> 00:01:11,740 reside 34 00:01:11,740 --> 00:01:16,340 in server memory only during task execution or temporarily reside in a file solely 35 00:01:16,340 --> 00:01:16,600 for 36 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:20,740 the execution of the task. Any file downloaded by the user will have been deleted 37 00:01:20,740 --> 00:01:21,200 from the 38 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:24,820 server by that point. So your data is basically only where it needs to be when it 39 00:01:24,820 --> 00:01:25,160 needs to 40 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:29,390 be there. Exactly. It's like having your own little PDF fortress. I like that a PDF 41 00:01:29,390 --> 00:01:29,840 fortress. 42 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:34,650 Okay, but let's move on to what you can actually do with Stirling PDF. The GitHub 43 00:01:34,650 --> 00:01:35,320 page mentions 44 00:01:35,320 --> 00:01:39,520 over 50 features. Yeah, it's a lot. It's a lot to unpack. Where do we even begin? 45 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:39,860 Don't 46 00:01:39,860 --> 00:01:42,920 worry, it's not as overwhelming as it sounds. They've organized everything into 47 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:43,440 these neat 48 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:48,160 categories. So let's start with the essentials page operations. Okay, the basics, 49 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:48,800 merging, 50 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:52,800 splitting, rotating, all that good stuff. Exactly. But here's where it gets 51 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:53,280 interesting. Stirling 52 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:58,140 goes beyond the basics. For example, it offers multi-page layouts. Multi-page 53 00:01:58,140 --> 00:01:58,980 layouts? What's 54 00:01:58,980 --> 00:02:02,880 that? Think of it like this. You can arrange pages side by side, kind of like if 55 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:03,300 you were 56 00:02:03,300 --> 00:02:06,760 creating a brochure or a pamphlet. Oh, I see. Instead of just one page after 57 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:07,440 another, you 58 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:11,280 can get creative with the layout. Right. And then there's this really cool feature, 59 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:12,720 auto-splitting, 60 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:15,880 based on those physical page dividers. You know, like when you scan a stack of 61 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:16,420 documents 62 00:02:16,420 --> 00:02:20,050 with those cardboard separators in between. Oh, yeah. Stirling can actually detect 63 00:02:20,050 --> 00:02:20,400 those 64 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:25,210 separators and split the PDF accordingly. Wow. No more manual separation page by 65 00:02:25,210 --> 00:02:25,760 page. 66 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:29,460 Exactly. It's a huge time saver. Especially for someone like a researcher or a 67 00:02:29,460 --> 00:02:30,080 librarian 68 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:33,990 dealing with tons of documents. Oh, absolutely. So it's got the basics covered plus 69 00:02:33,990 --> 00:02:34,520 some really 70 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:37,880 innovative features. What else can it do? All right. Well, let's move on to 71 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:38,280 conversion 72 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:43,560 operations. This is where you can transform PDFs into other formats and vice versa. 73 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:43,560 You've 74 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:48,190 got your usual suspects like PDF to Word, PDF to image formats. Well, things you'd 75 00:02:48,190 --> 00:02:48,360 kind 76 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:52,510 of expect. Exactly. But then there are some less common but super useful options 77 00:02:52,510 --> 00:02:53,360 like converting 78 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:58,240 HTML to PDF or even Markdown to PDF. Yeah, those are interesting. Yeah, I could see 79 00:02:58,240 --> 00:02:58,280 how 80 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,800 that would be a lifesaver for developers or anyone working with web content 81 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:02,440 converting 82 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:06,590 web pages directly to PDF. Right. It's all about streamlining your workflow. That's 83 00:03:06,590 --> 00:03:06,840 pretty 84 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:10,200 slick. And of course, we can't forget about security and permissions. Right. That's 85 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:10,960 crucial. 86 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:13,870 Especially if you're dealing with sensitive documents. Absolutely. Stirling lets 87 00:03:13,870 --> 00:03:14,360 you password 88 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:19,280 protect PDFs, add watermarks, redact confidential information. You can even sanitize 89 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:19,800 the file 90 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:24,040 to remove any potentially hidden data. So it's not just about editing PDFs. It's 91 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:24,800 about protecting 92 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:29,040 them as well. Exactly. That level of security is impressive. Okay, so we've talked 93 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:29,320 about 94 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,840 page operations, conversion operations, and security. And what about those other 95 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:33,560 miscellaneous 96 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:37,820 tasks? Right. So there's a whole category called other operations. Okay. It covers 97 00:03:37,820 --> 00:03:38,320 a pretty 98 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:44,230 wide range of tasks. Well, you can use OCR to make scanned text searchable repair 99 00:03:44,230 --> 00:03:44,800 damage 100 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:50,320 PDFs and even compare two PDFs side by side to see the differences in the text. Wow. 101 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:50,320 There's 102 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:54,040 even a feature for adding images directly into your PDFs. Okay. It really does seem 103 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:54,180 like 104 00:03:54,180 --> 00:03:58,090 Stirling can handle just about anything you throw at it when it comes to PDFs. But 105 00:03:58,090 --> 00:03:58,240 all 106 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:02,140 these powerful features are great. But what about the actual user experience? Is it 107 00:04:02,140 --> 00:04:02,400 easy 108 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:06,820 to use even for someone who's not super tech savvy? That's a great question. And 109 00:04:06,820 --> 00:04:07,240 from what 110 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:11,360 I've seen, they've put a lot of thought into making Stirling user friendly. Okay, 111 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:11,720 good. 112 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:16,010 The website emphasizes the clean and simple interface. And for those who prefer a 113 00:04:16,010 --> 00:04:16,340 less 114 00:04:16,340 --> 00:04:20,340 harsh viewing experience, they've even included dark mode support. You know me so 115 00:04:20,340 --> 00:04:20,780 well. I'm 116 00:04:20,780 --> 00:04:24,420 all about that dark mode life. It just makes everything easier on the eyes. But 117 00:04:24,420 --> 00:04:24,800 beyond 118 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:27,960 the interface itself, can you customize anything, make it feel more personal? 119 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:28,780 Absolutely. Stirling 120 00:04:28,780 --> 00:04:33,210 offers customization options where you can tweak the interface, change the app name 121 00:04:33,210 --> 00:04:33,480 and 122 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:37,080 description, and even add your own branding if you're a business. So you can really 123 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:37,800 personalize 124 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:42,240 it to fit your needs and style. That's awesome. It's nice to have that flexibility. 125 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:42,540 And speaking 126 00:04:42,540 --> 00:04:46,560 of flexibility, I noticed that Stirling PDF is open source. Can you explain what 127 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:46,940 that 128 00:04:46,940 --> 00:04:50,680 means and why it's a good thing? Sure. Open source basically means that the code 129 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:51,200 behind 130 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:56,120 the software is publicly available. Think of it like a recipe that anyone can see 131 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:56,420 and 132 00:04:56,420 --> 00:05:00,540 modify. Okay. This is great for a few reasons. Like what? First, it promotes 133 00:05:00,540 --> 00:05:01,360 transparency. 134 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:04,790 You can see exactly what the software is doing with your data. Second, it often 135 00:05:04,790 --> 00:05:05,280 leads to a 136 00:05:05,280 --> 00:05:10,750 strong community. In Stirling's case, their GitHub repository has over 51, 200 137 00:05:10,750 --> 00:05:11,420 stars. 138 00:05:11,420 --> 00:05:16,740 Wow. 51, 200. That's a lot of people interested in and contributing to the project. 139 00:05:16,740 --> 00:05:17,220 Exactly. 140 00:05:17,220 --> 00:05:20,470 And that's another benefit of open source because so many people are using and 141 00:05:20,470 --> 00:05:21,140 scrutinizing 142 00:05:21,140 --> 00:05:25,140 the code bugs tend to get squashed faster. And that means you can be more confident 143 00:05:25,140 --> 00:05:25,340 in 144 00:05:25,340 --> 00:05:29,270 the reliability and security of the software. So open source means transparency, a 145 00:05:29,270 --> 00:05:29,620 strong 146 00:05:29,620 --> 00:05:34,420 community and generally faster bug fixes. That's a pretty compelling case for going 147 00:05:34,420 --> 00:05:34,780 the open 148 00:05:34,780 --> 00:05:38,620 source route. I think so. And it often means the project is more likely to be 149 00:05:38,620 --> 00:05:39,240 around long 150 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:43,520 term because it's not dependent on a single company or developer. That makes sense. 151 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:43,520 It's 152 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:47,150 like a community driven project that everyone has a stake in. Okay. So we've 153 00:05:47,150 --> 00:05:47,920 covered a lot 154 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:51,880 of ground here. Stirling is a locally hosted open source web app that offers a ton 155 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:52,600 of features 156 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:57,750 for working with PDFs all while prioritizing security and privacy. It sounds 157 00:05:57,750 --> 00:05:58,320 amazing, but 158 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:01,240 before we get too carried away, are there any downsides or things to consider 159 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:01,600 before 160 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:06,680 jumping in? That's a great question. It's important to be realistic about any tool. 161 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:07,080 While Stirling 162 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:10,790 has a lot going for it, there are a few things to keep in mind. Okay, like what? 163 00:06:10,790 --> 00:06:11,380 First, even 164 00:06:11,380 --> 00:06:15,280 though they've tried to make it user friendly, Stirling PDF is still a fairly 165 00:06:15,280 --> 00:06:16,280 technical tool. 166 00:06:16,280 --> 00:06:19,780 You might need to be comfortable with some basic technical concepts to get it set 167 00:06:19,780 --> 00:06:19,960 up 168 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:23,040 and running smoothly. Okay. So there might be a little bit of a learning curve 169 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:23,600 involved. 170 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:27,160 Yeah. And then because it's locally hosted, you're responsible for maintaining it. 171 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:27,400 That 172 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:31,640 means making sure it's up to date with the latest security patches and updates. Ah, 173 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:31,920 so 174 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:35,370 unlike a cloud based service where you just let the company handle all the 175 00:06:35,370 --> 00:06:36,400 technical stuff, 176 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:39,500 you're in charge of keeping things running smoothly with Stirling. Right. And while 177 00:06:39,500 --> 00:06:39,640 it's 178 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:43,220 incredibly versatile, Stirling might not have the same level of polish and 179 00:06:43,220 --> 00:06:44,020 integration as 180 00:06:44,020 --> 00:06:48,450 some of those expensive commercial PDF editors out there. You might not find all 181 00:06:48,450 --> 00:06:48,920 the bells 182 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:53,260 and whistles for advanced typography or super smooth collaboration features. So it's 183 00:06:53,260 --> 00:06:53,400 really 184 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:57,200 about choosing the right tool for the job. Exactly. If you need a powerful workhorse 185 00:06:57,200 --> 00:06:57,400 for 186 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:02,440 core PDF tasks and you value privacy and control, Stirling is a fantastic option. 187 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:03,200 Absolutely. 188 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:07,020 But if you're looking for a more specialized design tool or need seamless cloud 189 00:07:07,020 --> 00:07:07,800 integration, 190 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,880 a commercial editor might be a better fit. Right. It all comes down to your 191 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:11,520 individual 192 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:15,160 needs and priorities. All right. I think this is a good point to wrap up part one 193 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:15,480 of our 194 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:18,830 deep dive. We've covered a lot of ground and still have plenty to discuss. 195 00:07:18,830 --> 00:07:19,360 Definitely. 196 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:22,370 We've only scratched the surface of what Stirling PDF can do. And if you're 197 00:07:22,370 --> 00:07:23,280 considering giving 198 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:26,810 Stirling a try and need help with getting it set up and running, our friends at 199 00:07:26,810 --> 00:07:27,480 Safe Server 200 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:34,540 are the experts. Absolutely. Check them out at www.safeserver.degree. They can help 201 00:07:34,540 --> 00:07:34,680 you 202 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:38,400 navigate the world of digital transformation and make sure you're getting the most 203 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:38,520 out 204 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:41,800 of your software investments. Great advice. Stick with us because in part two we'll 205 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:42,240 explore 206 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:46,150 some of Stirling's more advanced features and dig deeper into its potential. You 207 00:07:46,150 --> 00:07:46,480 know, 208 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:49,520 as we were talking about all the features Stirling PDF offers, I kept thinking back 209 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:54,500 to that quote from the GitHub IEE may about how files are only temporarily stored 210 00:07:54,500 --> 00:07:55,120 on the 211 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:58,580 server. Yeah, that really stood out to me too. It shows how seriously they take 212 00:07:58,580 --> 00:07:59,120 security 213 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:02,820 and privacy. They're not just throwing it around as like a marketing buzzword. 214 00:08:02,820 --> 00:08:03,160 Right. 215 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:06,630 They've actually designed the software with security and privacy as like core 216 00:08:06,630 --> 00:08:07,280 principles. 217 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:10,220 Exactly. It's baked into the whole approach. Okay, so we talked about all the 218 00:08:10,220 --> 00:08:10,640 individual 219 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:13,730 features, but how do they all work together? Can you give me an example of how 220 00:08:13,730 --> 00:08:14,160 someone 221 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:19,090 might use Stirling PDF in a real world scenario? Sure. Let's imagine someone who 222 00:08:19,090 --> 00:08:19,440 works with 223 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:24,720 a lot of scanned documents like a researcher or a historian or a librarian. They 224 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:24,760 could 225 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:28,550 use Stirling to scan a whole stack of documents, use that auto split feature we 226 00:08:28,550 --> 00:08:29,320 talked about 227 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:34,000 to separate them into individual PDFs and then run OCR on each one to make the text 228 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,920 searchable. That's already saving a ton of time and effort. Right. And then they 229 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:37,080 could 230 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:40,810 merge all those individual PDFs into a single document, add bookmarks for easy 231 00:08:40,810 --> 00:08:41,440 navigation 232 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:46,060 and even password protect the final file for extra security. Wow. So they can do 233 00:08:46,060 --> 00:08:46,400 all of 234 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:49,830 that within the same application. Exactly. That's incredible. It's like having a 235 00:08:49,830 --> 00:08:50,400 complete 236 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:55,160 PDF powerhouse right on your own computer. It really highlights how far we've come 237 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:55,240 in 238 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:58,980 terms of locally hosted software. I know it's amazing. And with all the growing 239 00:08:58,980 --> 00:08:59,440 concerns 240 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:03,400 about data privacy, I think we're going to see more and more applications following 241 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:04,000 Stirling's 242 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:07,630 lead. I agree. People are starting to realize that they don't have to sacrifice 243 00:09:07,630 --> 00:09:07,920 privacy 244 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:11,630 and control for convenience. They can have it all. Okay. Let's shift gears for a 245 00:09:11,630 --> 00:09:11,920 second 246 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:15,940 and talk about the open source aspect of Stirling PDF. You mentioned that it has a 247 00:09:15,940 --> 00:09:16,280 large and 248 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:20,090 active community. What are some of the benefits of that for users? Well, for 249 00:09:20,090 --> 00:09:20,720 starters, it 250 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:24,380 means that you have a huge pool of people who can help you if you run into any 251 00:09:24,380 --> 00:09:25,380 problems, 252 00:09:25,380 --> 00:09:28,830 whether you're stuck on a technical issue or just need some advice on how to use a 253 00:09:28,830 --> 00:09:29,440 particular 254 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:33,050 feature. There's always someone out there who's been in your shoes and can offer 255 00:09:33,050 --> 00:09:33,640 guidance. 256 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:37,410 It's like having a built-in security system. Exactly. And because the code is open 257 00:09:37,410 --> 00:09:37,640 for 258 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:41,600 everyone to see, it means that security vulnerabilities are more likely to be 259 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:42,640 spotted and patched 260 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:47,000 quickly. It's like having thousands of eyes constantly scrutinizing the software 261 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:47,720 for potential 262 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:51,400 issues. That makes a lot of sense. It's kind of like crowdsourced quality control. 263 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:51,880 Right. 264 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:55,680 And because so many people are using and testing the software in different ways, 265 00:09:55,680 --> 00:09:56,360 new features 266 00:09:56,360 --> 00:10:00,220 and improvements are constantly being added. So it's not a static piece of software. 267 00:10:00,220 --> 00:10:00,240 It's 268 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:04,160 constantly evolving and getting better. Exactly. It's a living, breathing project 269 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:04,840 that's driven 270 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:08,700 by the needs and contributions of its community. Okay. Now I have to ask about this 271 00:10:08,700 --> 00:10:09,160 pipelines 272 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:12,990 feature that keeps popping up. Ah, yes. Pipelines. You mentioned it earlier and I'm 273 00:10:12,990 --> 00:10:13,800 really intrigued. 274 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:18,060 Can you explain what it is and why it's such a big deal? Okay. So pipelines is 275 00:10:18,060 --> 00:10:18,880 where Stirling 276 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:24,230 PDF really shines in terms of automation. Think of it as creating your own custom 277 00:10:24,230 --> 00:10:24,560 PDF 278 00:10:24,560 --> 00:10:28,650 workflows. You can chain together multiple tasks and have Stirling execute them 279 00:10:28,650 --> 00:10:29,640 automatically. 280 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:33,480 Okay. Give me an example. How would someone actually use this in practice? Let's 281 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:33,680 say you 282 00:10:33,680 --> 00:10:37,610 have a folder full of scanned documents. You could create a pipeline that first 283 00:10:37,610 --> 00:10:38,200 splits each 284 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:43,240 document into individual pages, then runs OCR on them, converts them to searchable 285 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:43,600 PDFs, 286 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:47,730 and finally merges them into a single document with a table of contents. Whoa. All 287 00:10:47,730 --> 00:10:47,920 of that 288 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:51,820 happens automatically? Yep. With just a few clicks, you can automate an entire PDF 289 00:10:51,820 --> 00:10:52,420 workflow 290 00:10:52,420 --> 00:10:56,400 that might have taken hours to do manually. That's a game changer for anyone who 291 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:56,640 works 292 00:10:56,640 --> 00:11:00,510 with PDFs regularly. It's like having your own personal PDF assistant working 293 00:11:00,510 --> 00:11:00,880 behind 294 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:04,760 the scenes. Exactly. And the possibilities are endless. You can use pipelines to 295 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:05,200 automate 296 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:09,910 all sorts of PDF tasks from simple things like adding watermarks to more complex 297 00:11:09,910 --> 00:11:10,640 workflows 298 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:15,900 like converting batches of files or extracting data from PDFs. It sounds incredibly 299 00:11:15,900 --> 00:11:16,400 powerful. 300 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:20,610 It is. It's one of the things that really sets Stirling PDF apart from other PDF 301 00:11:20,610 --> 00:11:21,200 tools. 302 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:24,920 You know, as we're talking about this, I'm starting to see how Stirling PDF is more 303 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:25,080 than 304 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:29,480 just a tool. It's almost like a platform for building custom PDF solutions. That's 305 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:33,260 a great way to put it. It gives users the power to tailor their PDF workflows to 306 00:11:33,260 --> 00:11:33,680 their 307 00:11:33,680 --> 00:11:36,720 specific needs. It's really empowering. It puts you in control 308 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:40,920 of your data and your workflow. Okay, so we've covered a lot of ground on Stirling 309 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:41,960 PDF strengths, 310 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:46,090 but before we wrap up, I think it's important to touch on some potential drawbacks 311 00:11:46,090 --> 00:11:47,080 or considerations 312 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:50,390 for potential users. What are some of the things people should keep in mind before 313 00:11:50,390 --> 00:11:50,820 diving 314 00:11:50,820 --> 00:11:54,400 into Stirling PDF? That's a great point. While Stirling PDF is 315 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:58,720 a fantastic tool, it's important to be aware of its limitations. The biggest one is 316 00:11:58,720 --> 00:11:59,300 probably 317 00:11:59,300 --> 00:12:03,410 the technical learning curve. Remember, Stirling is locally hosted and runs within 318 00:12:03,410 --> 00:12:03,840 a Docker 319 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:06,280 container. Now, Docker might sound intimidating if you're 320 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:10,390 not a developer, but think of it as like a little self-contained box where Stirling 321 00:12:10,390 --> 00:12:11,240 runs. 322 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:14,680 This ensures that it works consistently on any computer and you don't have to worry 323 00:12:14,680 --> 00:12:14,860 about 324 00:12:14,860 --> 00:12:19,440 conflicting software or anything like that. Right. But even though Docker itself is 325 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:19,640 well 326 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:23,860 documented, setting it up and getting Stirling PDF running within Docker might 327 00:12:23,860 --> 00:12:24,440 require a 328 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:28,140 little bit of troubleshooting, especially if you're not familiar with containerization. 329 00:12:28,140 --> 00:12:31,950 So some technical know-how is definitely recommended. What else? Well, because you're 330 00:12:31,950 --> 00:12:32,400 responsible 331 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:36,000 for maintaining Stirling PDF, you'll need to stay on top of updates and security 332 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:36,480 patches 333 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:39,530 that might involve some manual effort, especially if you're not familiar with 334 00:12:39,530 --> 00:12:41,040 command line interfaces. 335 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:44,560 So it's not quite as set it and forget it as a cloud-based service. Right. You'll 336 00:12:44,560 --> 00:12:44,680 need 337 00:12:44,680 --> 00:12:48,540 to be comfortable with a bit of hands-on maintenance. And while Stirling PDF is 338 00:12:48,540 --> 00:12:49,760 incredibly versatile, 339 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:54,650 it might not have all the fancy features and polish of some commercial PDF editors, 340 00:12:54,650 --> 00:12:54,680 you 341 00:12:54,680 --> 00:12:59,730 know, things like advanced typography controls, built-in collaboration tools, or 342 00:12:59,730 --> 00:12:59,960 seamless 343 00:12:59,960 --> 00:13:04,310 cloud storage integration. Okay, so it's more focused on the core functionality of 344 00:13:04,310 --> 00:13:05,480 PDF handling 345 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:09,800 rather than being a design powerhouse or a collaboration hub. Exactly. It's really 346 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:10,280 designed 347 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:15,450 to be a workhorse for individual users who value privacy control and flexibility. 348 00:13:15,450 --> 00:13:15,560 So 349 00:13:15,560 --> 00:13:19,720 it's about weighing those priorities and choosing the right tool for the job. If 350 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:20,000 you need a 351 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:23,470 simple user-friendly editor with all the bells and whistles, a commercial product 352 00:13:23,470 --> 00:13:23,680 might be 353 00:13:23,680 --> 00:13:28,440 a better fit. But if you're looking for a powerful, customizable, and privacy-focused 354 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:33,360 solution that you can control, Stirling PDF is definitely worth exploring. I couldn't 355 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:33,560 agree 356 00:13:33,560 --> 00:13:37,090 more. And remember, if you're looking for help with getting Stirling PDFs set up 357 00:13:37,090 --> 00:13:37,340 and 358 00:13:37,340 --> 00:13:43,480 running smoothly, our friends at SafeServer can help. Absolutely. Head over to www.safeserver.day 359 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:47,050 to learn more about their expertise in digital transformation and how they can help 360 00:13:47,050 --> 00:13:47,440 you get 361 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:52,000 the most out of Stirling PDF. Okay, I think we've covered a lot of ground on Stirling 362 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:56,550 PDF strengths and potential drawbacks. What do you say we move on to? You know, I 363 00:13:56,550 --> 00:13:56,720 think 364 00:13:56,720 --> 00:14:00,480 there's one more really important thing about Stirling PDF that we haven't fully 365 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:01,000 explored. 366 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:04,520 I agree. There's something special about it that goes beyond just its features and 367 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:05,160 benefits. 368 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:09,320 You mean the fact that it represents a shift in how we think about software? 369 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:10,120 Exactly. For 370 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:13,110 years we've been told that the cloud is the future, that all our data and 371 00:14:13,110 --> 00:14:13,820 applications 372 00:14:13,820 --> 00:14:17,800 should live online. But Stirling PDF is kind of challenging that assumption. It's 373 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:17,900 like 374 00:14:17,900 --> 00:14:21,950 a rebellion against the cloud. A statement that says we can have powerful software 375 00:14:21,950 --> 00:14:22,400 without 376 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:26,180 sacrificing our privacy and control. I love that a declaration of digital 377 00:14:26,180 --> 00:14:26,920 independence 378 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:31,270 and I think it speaks to a growing movement of people who are just tired of feeling 379 00:14:31,270 --> 00:14:31,620 like 380 00:14:31,620 --> 00:14:35,400 their data is out of their hands. It's about taking back control, owning your data 381 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:35,660 and 382 00:14:35,660 --> 00:14:40,150 deciding how and where it's used. And Stirling PDF is a perfect example of how this 383 00:14:40,150 --> 00:14:40,280 can be 384 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:44,360 done without compromising on features or functionality. It's truth that you can 385 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:45,280 have a feature-rich 386 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:49,670 secure and private software experience without relying on big tech companies to 387 00:14:49,670 --> 00:14:50,380 manage your 388 00:14:50,380 --> 00:14:53,780 data. It's empowering. And I think it's a trend that's only going to grow stronger 389 00:14:53,780 --> 00:14:54,120 as 390 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:58,250 people become more aware of the importance of data privacy. Absolutely. Stirling 391 00:14:58,250 --> 00:14:58,420 PDF 392 00:14:58,420 --> 00:15:02,120 is a pioneer in this movement and I'm excited to see what other innovative tools 393 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:03,060 and applications 394 00:15:03,060 --> 00:15:08,110 emerge as more developers embrace this philosophy. Me too. It's a great time to be 395 00:15:08,110 --> 00:15:09,100 a tech enthusiast 396 00:15:09,100 --> 00:15:14,150 who values privacy and control. Okay, but speaking of Stirling PDF, what do you 397 00:15:14,150 --> 00:15:14,380 think 398 00:15:14,380 --> 00:15:18,460 is the most exciting aspect of this whole project? Honestly, for me, it's the 399 00:15:18,460 --> 00:15:19,380 potential. 400 00:15:19,380 --> 00:15:22,940 We've talked about the features, the open source community and the shift towards 401 00:15:22,940 --> 00:15:23,400 locally 402 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:28,140 hosted software. But what really gets me excited is what people will do with Stirling 403 00:15:28,140 --> 00:15:28,620 PDF. 404 00:15:28,620 --> 00:15:31,550 You mean how they'll use it to solve real world problems and create their own 405 00:15:31,550 --> 00:15:31,900 unique 406 00:15:31,900 --> 00:15:35,690 workflows? Exactly. Think about all the creative ways people could use those 407 00:15:35,690 --> 00:15:36,840 pipelines to automate 408 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:41,100 tasks and streamline their work. I can't wait to see what innovative solutions 409 00:15:41,100 --> 00:15:41,780 emerge from 410 00:15:41,780 --> 00:15:45,380 the community. I bet there are going to be some truly ingenious uses that we haven't 411 00:15:45,380 --> 00:15:48,590 even thought of yet. Absolutely. And that's the beauty of open source. It's a 412 00:15:48,590 --> 00:15:49,100 collaborative 413 00:15:49,100 --> 00:15:52,950 effort that allows for endless possibilities. Well, on that note of exciting 414 00:15:52,950 --> 00:15:53,780 possibilities, 415 00:15:53,780 --> 00:15:58,020 I think it's time to wrap up our deep dive into Stirling PDF. We've covered a lot 416 00:15:58,020 --> 00:15:58,100 of 417 00:15:58,100 --> 00:16:02,360 ground from its impressive feature set to its commitment to privacy and the broader 418 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:05,870 implications for the future of software. It's been a fascinating journey, and I 419 00:16:05,870 --> 00:16:06,240 hope our 420 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:11,000 listeners feel equipped to explore Stirling PDF further and see if it's the right 421 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:11,340 tool 422 00:16:11,340 --> 00:16:14,600 for their needs. And if you're ready to take the plunge, remember our friends at 423 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:14,980 SafeServer 424 00:16:14,980 --> 00:16:20,730 can help you get started. Head over to www.safeserver.day to learn more about their 425 00:16:20,730 --> 00:16:21,740 digital transformation 426 00:16:21,740 --> 00:16:25,290 services and how they can help you get the most out of Stirling PDF. They're the 427 00:16:25,290 --> 00:16:25,860 experts 428 00:16:25,860 --> 00:16:30,070 in hosting and managing locally hosted software, so you can focus on what matters 429 00:16:30,070 --> 00:16:30,700 most using 430 00:16:30,700 --> 00:16:34,030 the tools that empower you. Thanks for joining us on this deep dive. We hope you 431 00:16:34,030 --> 00:16:34,340 found it 432 00:16:34,340 --> 00:16:37,300 informative and inspiring. Until next time, happy PDFing.