To be absolutely honest, every single one of the optional assignments seems interesting to me. When I had chosen to do the Graphs and the Story Map projects, those were just the two I could see having the widest range of applications for.
Comparatively, I found the ArcGIS far easier to navigate and understand than the Google Graphs pages. Unfortunately though it seems ArcGIS is not entirely a free account, but as long as it is used for noncommercial use then it is. I hope to explore all they have to offer at a later date.
My final project and it can be found here and also in the side navigation. I hope to continue on this project and further expand the collection of advertisements and then be able to draw some conclusions about the change in their performances and travel patterns. It would be nice to be able to compare the amount of shows in one area and see how that corresponds to the death toll during war time. And while that may be easily found in books, and very easy to understand emotionally, I would like to be able to point to population charts and graphs as proof.
And that I believe concludes all the postings for HIS 218 Digital History at NVCC.
Sunday, July 16, 2017
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Unit 14: User Participation & Crowd-sourcing
When the term crowd-sourcing is mentioned, my initial thought is always to Kickstarter and other crowd-funding options. Then that got me thinking, does Kickstarter have a lot of history based projects looking for backing? And it really doesn't.
Searching through with the keyword 'History' I found a lot of historical fiction games, or retro-futuristic postings. But a few notables are:
One Fam : it's kind of like Facebook + Ancestry, chart out your family tree then share/post important memories and moments.
Forty Blocks: The East Garfield Park Oral History Project by Chicago History Museum : This project is to train students of the community to record oral histories of the residents. The students will work with film crews and museum staff to record the history of the predominantly black community which has undergone radical changes since WW2. Its a great way to not only get the residents' stories told, but to involve the younger community as well. It has completed funding earlier this year and I cannot wait to see how it pans out.
The Irish History Channel : A History Student from NUI is looking for funding to help establish a Youtube channel where he will document Ireland's history.
Hidden Histories of Million Wartime Women by Royal Voluntary Service : The Royal Voluntary Service is seeking to raise funds to research and document the wartime efforts of the Woman's Voluntary Services during WW2. About 1/10 of the entire female population of Great Britain (possibly the UK) serviced, yet there is very little published about them. With this funding they seek to tell the stories of the women via the thousands of artifact collected and make them available online for free. It seems the project has been making leaps and bounds after being funded. Their blog documenting more of their work can be found here.
Lorica Leggings : This kickstarter was to raise money to jumpstart a business which makes leggings with designs based off of historical pieces of armor. I have backed this one and I cannot wait for them to expand and offer more styles. Not quite history, but a way to bring pieces of history into our everyday lives.
As you see there is a range in nature, quality and funding requirements.
On the subject of transcribing projects, one recently showed up in my Facebook feed which seems to be very interesting. It is called Transcribing Faith and it focuses on books from the early modern period which document the of the 1470-1700 and is part of the Religious Change project which documents the changing nature of religion in that time period. It definitely looks interesting and I may try to contribute once this class is over.
And the main project has no change as the moment, as I am marathoning through all these blog posts. Though the first step when I return to it will be changing the search parameters to only newspapers in Virginia then further exploring story mapping and the timeline apps.
Searching through with the keyword 'History' I found a lot of historical fiction games, or retro-futuristic postings. But a few notables are:
One Fam : it's kind of like Facebook + Ancestry, chart out your family tree then share/post important memories and moments.
Forty Blocks: The East Garfield Park Oral History Project by Chicago History Museum : This project is to train students of the community to record oral histories of the residents. The students will work with film crews and museum staff to record the history of the predominantly black community which has undergone radical changes since WW2. Its a great way to not only get the residents' stories told, but to involve the younger community as well. It has completed funding earlier this year and I cannot wait to see how it pans out.
The Irish History Channel : A History Student from NUI is looking for funding to help establish a Youtube channel where he will document Ireland's history.
Hidden Histories of Million Wartime Women by Royal Voluntary Service : The Royal Voluntary Service is seeking to raise funds to research and document the wartime efforts of the Woman's Voluntary Services during WW2. About 1/10 of the entire female population of Great Britain (possibly the UK) serviced, yet there is very little published about them. With this funding they seek to tell the stories of the women via the thousands of artifact collected and make them available online for free. It seems the project has been making leaps and bounds after being funded. Their blog documenting more of their work can be found here.
Lorica Leggings : This kickstarter was to raise money to jumpstart a business which makes leggings with designs based off of historical pieces of armor. I have backed this one and I cannot wait for them to expand and offer more styles. Not quite history, but a way to bring pieces of history into our everyday lives.
As you see there is a range in nature, quality and funding requirements.
On the subject of transcribing projects, one recently showed up in my Facebook feed which seems to be very interesting. It is called Transcribing Faith and it focuses on books from the early modern period which document the of the 1470-1700 and is part of the Religious Change project which documents the changing nature of religion in that time period. It definitely looks interesting and I may try to contribute once this class is over.
And the main project has no change as the moment, as I am marathoning through all these blog posts. Though the first step when I return to it will be changing the search parameters to only newspapers in Virginia then further exploring story mapping and the timeline apps.
Unit 13: Data Visualization
Data visualization is a very useful tool in explaining complex or abstract ideas in simpler terms. But while working on the Data Visualization project, I found building a graph with the Google Graph Gallery far more challenging than it needed to be. First I had to collect the data, I picked something simple: the amount of new notable sanitariums built by year in the US. The main purpose of the project was to display the data and understand how it works, so I saw no need to go in depth and truly research.
After all, if all the desired research was to be done, I would have been building at a bare minimum of 5 different graphs:
1. the population of the US as along with the number diagnosed with tuberculosis as a line graph
2. the same data applied geographically
3. the number of sanitariums built by year (which was done for the project)
4. the same information then applied geographically
5. an overlapping time line of years in operation for each of the sanitariums
Sadly that undertaking was not feasible at the time, but as a compromise I could revisit the sanitariums in the story map project, which I believe should be fitting in communicating the information as well.
Building a simple graph using coding was difficult enough. I had built a table in Numbers (Mac's version of Excel) and was using that to collect years name and location from the lovely source of Wikipedia to then turn into a graph. I was probably better off just rendering the graph in the program then exporting it as an image, but I was determined to make the coding work. And for a basic graph, it did.
But if I were to use data visualization for any project beyond that one, I would not work directly wit the code again.
On the subject of data visualization, I don't believe I will be using much, if any, in the final project. Using a timeline or story map to show the advertisements will be far more effective. Not much progress on the project, still playing blog catch up.
In regards to applicable data sets, the standard census data is always important to an area. For Northern Virginia, all information regarding the Civil War is usually pertinent as well, whether it be the amount of troops stationed here for either side, or the numbers of who remained here after. Unfortunately I do not know if all that data has been collected into a presentable fashion. But the Library of Virginia has a collection of Civil War Records here.
Also as a side note, it seems blogger has changed how posts are edited and links posted since this project began. Like there is less design control, and has become more clunky. Possibly it is not playing well with the latest Firefox update.
Oh, the joys of technology.
After all, if all the desired research was to be done, I would have been building at a bare minimum of 5 different graphs:
1. the population of the US as along with the number diagnosed with tuberculosis as a line graph
2. the same data applied geographically
3. the number of sanitariums built by year (which was done for the project)
4. the same information then applied geographically
5. an overlapping time line of years in operation for each of the sanitariums
Sadly that undertaking was not feasible at the time, but as a compromise I could revisit the sanitariums in the story map project, which I believe should be fitting in communicating the information as well.
Building a simple graph using coding was difficult enough. I had built a table in Numbers (Mac's version of Excel) and was using that to collect years name and location from the lovely source of Wikipedia to then turn into a graph. I was probably better off just rendering the graph in the program then exporting it as an image, but I was determined to make the coding work. And for a basic graph, it did.
But if I were to use data visualization for any project beyond that one, I would not work directly wit the code again.
On the subject of data visualization, I don't believe I will be using much, if any, in the final project. Using a timeline or story map to show the advertisements will be far more effective. Not much progress on the project, still playing blog catch up.
In regards to applicable data sets, the standard census data is always important to an area. For Northern Virginia, all information regarding the Civil War is usually pertinent as well, whether it be the amount of troops stationed here for either side, or the numbers of who remained here after. Unfortunately I do not know if all that data has been collected into a presentable fashion. But the Library of Virginia has a collection of Civil War Records here.
Also as a side note, it seems blogger has changed how posts are edited and links posted since this project began. Like there is less design control, and has become more clunky. Possibly it is not playing well with the latest Firefox update.
Oh, the joys of technology.
Monday, July 10, 2017
Unit 12: Digital Online Archives
For the most part the Northern Virginia Digital History [link] is very easy to navigate and interesting to explore. I like the many different ways to explore the galleries especially the option to browse via the map. It is really easy to find were to contribute items.
But uploading photos to Northern Virginia Digital History Archive was a bit more difficult than I had expected. All the photos I had taken with my phone were over the file limit and had to be edited and downsized with photoshop. I think the file limit was 2 MB, not the standard 10 MB which is more common today.
I found the subtitles to be a bit confusing. Like I understand 'Image Description' but 'An account of the resource' makes me second guess what exactly is being looked for. And for the 'Date' I ended up putting in the date the photo was taken, which may not be correct for 'A point or period of time associated with an event in the the life cycle of the resource' as the point or period of time can vary. Like the photos I uploaded were of historic structures and it could be argued that the dates of importance are completely different than the date they were taken.
The digital archive I checked out is the Digital Image Archive of Medieval Music [link]. While the website's navigation it pretty easy to use, but to get access to the photographs you have to sign up for an account. At least the account is free and the content can be searched before signing up. The collection spans many countries though it is primarily in the UK. Each entry contains a lot of valuable information whether or not there is actual images of the music.
The main project is still sitting on the back burner while I catch up with everything else.
But uploading photos to Northern Virginia Digital History Archive was a bit more difficult than I had expected. All the photos I had taken with my phone were over the file limit and had to be edited and downsized with photoshop. I think the file limit was 2 MB, not the standard 10 MB which is more common today.
I found the subtitles to be a bit confusing. Like I understand 'Image Description' but 'An account of the resource' makes me second guess what exactly is being looked for. And for the 'Date' I ended up putting in the date the photo was taken, which may not be correct for 'A point or period of time associated with an event in the the life cycle of the resource' as the point or period of time can vary. Like the photos I uploaded were of historic structures and it could be argued that the dates of importance are completely different than the date they were taken.
The digital archive I checked out is the Digital Image Archive of Medieval Music [link]. While the website's navigation it pretty easy to use, but to get access to the photographs you have to sign up for an account. At least the account is free and the content can be searched before signing up. The collection spans many countries though it is primarily in the UK. Each entry contains a lot of valuable information whether or not there is actual images of the music.
The main project is still sitting on the back burner while I catch up with everything else.
Unit 8: Becoming Digital
Digital materials are so easily redistributed that they almost lose credibility if not acquired from the initial upload. Even when acquired from commercial sites, then you'd want to further check the objects' authenticity and the place you are purchasing it from and their credibility. Its the basic issue of online shopping where the dress that arrives does not match the listing.
An interesting issue I have found when trying to locate high resolution scans of J.C. Leyendecker's work is that the best scans come from people's personal tumblr and blogs, not any art galleries or museums. Nothing is more frustrating than finding documents just scanned in at 72 DPI/PPI and labelled as high resolution. While 72 DPI/PPI may be fine for just web viewing, 300 DPI/PPI is the basic resolution for all printed material and should be made available whenever possible. In regards to are resolution of artwork, I'd hope that places would make a 600 DPI/PPI version available. While I can understand them not wanting to risk people making their own prints of artwork, it should be something they are willing to risk to educate people or at least make available upon request.
As an illustrator, all traditional artwork gets scanned in, photoshoped, and then saved down to the appropriate sizing for either print or web. When doing research on the Poultney Mill in Leesburg, I had used the microfiche to view probate and deeds to track all mention of John Poultney and his mill. To print the documents, the program uses the simple image capture function, then exported it as a TIFF. Then the file's color had to be inverted, which the only reason I could attribute to is the older computers not playing nice or packaging files differently than current computers do. I believe those computers were running either Windows 98 or XP.
An interesting issue I have found when trying to locate high resolution scans of J.C. Leyendecker's work is that the best scans come from people's personal tumblr and blogs, not any art galleries or museums. Nothing is more frustrating than finding documents just scanned in at 72 DPI/PPI and labelled as high resolution. While 72 DPI/PPI may be fine for just web viewing, 300 DPI/PPI is the basic resolution for all printed material and should be made available whenever possible. In regards to are resolution of artwork, I'd hope that places would make a 600 DPI/PPI version available. While I can understand them not wanting to risk people making their own prints of artwork, it should be something they are willing to risk to educate people or at least make available upon request.
As an illustrator, all traditional artwork gets scanned in, photoshoped, and then saved down to the appropriate sizing for either print or web. When doing research on the Poultney Mill in Leesburg, I had used the microfiche to view probate and deeds to track all mention of John Poultney and his mill. To print the documents, the program uses the simple image capture function, then exported it as a TIFF. Then the file's color had to be inverted, which the only reason I could attribute to is the older computers not playing nice or packaging files differently than current computers do. I believe those computers were running either Windows 98 or XP.
Saturday, July 8, 2017
Project Update
Just a quick update on the status of the final project.
I've begun combing through the Library of Congress's digital database of newspapers published between 1789 and 1924 in all states in an attempt to ensure that I will be able find continual advertisements for the same person, which would be ideal to track the variations in advertisements and possibly their travels.
The first keyword search I tried was Spiritualism which while returning many results, most were articles. But that at least lead to the terminology which would help narrow down results. Seance, Psychic, and Occult were the next keywords to try. As with spiritualism, seance and psychic brought up relevant articles but no advertisements within the first 10 pages (20 results per page).
Occult so far has yielded the best results. I've found over 10 advertisements from 1899 from Montana from the same palm reader which shows a gradual change in advertising graphics.
The nest step for this project will be to specify and look into Virginian newspapers with the same keywords. Once they are collected, then a webpage will be built and galleries made to be sorted by year, occultist, and possibly different trades within the field.
But the project will be put on hold until the other assignments with more pressing deadlines are completed.
I've begun combing through the Library of Congress's digital database of newspapers published between 1789 and 1924 in all states in an attempt to ensure that I will be able find continual advertisements for the same person, which would be ideal to track the variations in advertisements and possibly their travels.
The first keyword search I tried was Spiritualism which while returning many results, most were articles. But that at least lead to the terminology which would help narrow down results. Seance, Psychic, and Occult were the next keywords to try. As with spiritualism, seance and psychic brought up relevant articles but no advertisements within the first 10 pages (20 results per page).
Occult so far has yielded the best results. I've found over 10 advertisements from 1899 from Montana from the same palm reader which shows a gradual change in advertising graphics.
The nest step for this project will be to specify and look into Virginian newspapers with the same keywords. Once they are collected, then a webpage will be built and galleries made to be sorted by year, occultist, and possibly different trades within the field.
But the project will be put on hold until the other assignments with more pressing deadlines are completed.
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Unit 10: Real & Not Real in the Digital World
When it comes to the blending of digital and physical in the realm of history, I prefer to focus on not what are we doing today, like the digitization of documents or the running of a website, but on where we will be moving forward towards. Then coupling that with the best way to involve the public and you really find yourself more into the sphere of experience design (not UX design) and telling the story of a location or exhibit. I guess I operate on the notion that every single historic document should be scanned, available online, and searchable is basic fact and therefore not something we need to discuss.
The developments of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality will really be the next steps of bringing history to life. Embracing the technological advances will allow museums to fully immerse visitors in an experience, to thoroughly encapsulate them in a moment in time.
A historic house museum could have VR tours of the house in different decades without having to physically change their furnishing plan. Then using a 3D printer, they could even replicate some items for guests to interact with. Or even an AR filter in their app which lets you see different interpretations, whether it be different decades or something as simple as seasons, on your phone screen while retaining their basic house interpretation in reality.
This of course means investing in tech far more difficult to use that the basic blog and website, which may prove to be costly in the short term. Never mind the fact that far too many museums and historic sites have difficulty maintaining a website. There may even be backlash from the notion of museums becoming more of an educational for of entertainment.
The notes for this week discuss the differences between handling an actual old piece of parchment versus reading it scanned vs reading it transcribed and the emotional differences, but what if that original piece of parchment was recreated? There would be no worry about the loss of an artifact and then museum visitors could get the full experience. This of course would be more meaning full with an object like a Viking shield or Roman helmet.
Mostly the use of VR and AR has been segregated to the realm of just entertainment and gaming. But the idea of a game does not have to be something devoid of learning, nor is entertainment bad.
The VR Titanic kickstarter is a example of the real-nonreal. It proposes to allow people the experience to explore the ship while it sails as well as the experience of the ships demise.
A common theme currently is diving or deep sea VR adventures as there are at least two I am aware of: UnderCurrent and World of Diving. I've actually played World of Diving and is is absolutely fascinating, as I am sure the others are as well. It was my first VR experience at the VALA Eastside art gallery in Seattle, and what really had me interested is the fact that they had mapped specific oceans, down to some of the artifacts that could be found around plane wrecks. Just think of the archeological possibilities! How students can be trained for underwater salvages, how to explore wrecks after they have been recovered, or if combined with more science, recreate the decay process of the artifacts.
The Real NonReal can easily be seen in the viewing of any kind of painting. You can see Titian's online all day, but nothing compares to standing in front of one of his giant paintings. Like seeing a Monet, Manet, or any of the Impressionists really. The sheer size and the vibrance of colors cannot be understood from a computer screen. And while these may not be considered local references, the basic idea can be applied to any and every item.
There are just so many possibilities if the real and non-real are allowed to exist together for they both have their place and uses.
The developments of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality will really be the next steps of bringing history to life. Embracing the technological advances will allow museums to fully immerse visitors in an experience, to thoroughly encapsulate them in a moment in time.
A historic house museum could have VR tours of the house in different decades without having to physically change their furnishing plan. Then using a 3D printer, they could even replicate some items for guests to interact with. Or even an AR filter in their app which lets you see different interpretations, whether it be different decades or something as simple as seasons, on your phone screen while retaining their basic house interpretation in reality.
This of course means investing in tech far more difficult to use that the basic blog and website, which may prove to be costly in the short term. Never mind the fact that far too many museums and historic sites have difficulty maintaining a website. There may even be backlash from the notion of museums becoming more of an educational for of entertainment.
The notes for this week discuss the differences between handling an actual old piece of parchment versus reading it scanned vs reading it transcribed and the emotional differences, but what if that original piece of parchment was recreated? There would be no worry about the loss of an artifact and then museum visitors could get the full experience. This of course would be more meaning full with an object like a Viking shield or Roman helmet.
Mostly the use of VR and AR has been segregated to the realm of just entertainment and gaming. But the idea of a game does not have to be something devoid of learning, nor is entertainment bad.
The VR Titanic kickstarter is a example of the real-nonreal. It proposes to allow people the experience to explore the ship while it sails as well as the experience of the ships demise.
A common theme currently is diving or deep sea VR adventures as there are at least two I am aware of: UnderCurrent and World of Diving. I've actually played World of Diving and is is absolutely fascinating, as I am sure the others are as well. It was my first VR experience at the VALA Eastside art gallery in Seattle, and what really had me interested is the fact that they had mapped specific oceans, down to some of the artifacts that could be found around plane wrecks. Just think of the archeological possibilities! How students can be trained for underwater salvages, how to explore wrecks after they have been recovered, or if combined with more science, recreate the decay process of the artifacts.
The Real NonReal can easily be seen in the viewing of any kind of painting. You can see Titian's online all day, but nothing compares to standing in front of one of his giant paintings. Like seeing a Monet, Manet, or any of the Impressionists really. The sheer size and the vibrance of colors cannot be understood from a computer screen. And while these may not be considered local references, the basic idea can be applied to any and every item.
There are just so many possibilities if the real and non-real are allowed to exist together for they both have their place and uses.
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Unit 9: Final Project Proposal
For the final project I have decide to research Victorian Spiritualism in America and build a multipage website using Weebly or Wix. While the website will be touching on the societal sand historical aspects, the focus will be on the mediums themselves. Ideally I will be able to find primary source advertisements from the Balch Library archives and the Library of Congress to name a few.
Most of the secondary source websites fall into two different categories of being either a wall of text, or being so heavily biased on the subject matter. The goal will be to try and present the information as impartially as possible. And that does mean researching some of the mechanical engineering which went into rigging a room for a false seance.
A stretch goal, which will most likely not happen due to time restraints, would be to build a playable experience of a Victorian seance. The user would be able to select playing through as a medium, a guest or as a spirit and make choices to influence how the seance goes and the beliefs of all other parties involved. It would be a single player game, though it has the possibility to have multiple players filling the different roles.
The game would be built using a program called Unity and with a plugin called Fungus which is primarily used to make games that play like a dating simulator, or a choose your own adventure. While I do not have much experience myself using those tools, I do make the artwork for type of game and have access to people who do. The game's artwork would require a different set of research to build upon the spiritualism research, mainly interior decorating trends and specific fashion choices.
Other ideas for this project:
Most of the secondary source websites fall into two different categories of being either a wall of text, or being so heavily biased on the subject matter. The goal will be to try and present the information as impartially as possible. And that does mean researching some of the mechanical engineering which went into rigging a room for a false seance.
A stretch goal, which will most likely not happen due to time restraints, would be to build a playable experience of a Victorian seance. The user would be able to select playing through as a medium, a guest or as a spirit and make choices to influence how the seance goes and the beliefs of all other parties involved. It would be a single player game, though it has the possibility to have multiple players filling the different roles.
The game would be built using a program called Unity and with a plugin called Fungus which is primarily used to make games that play like a dating simulator, or a choose your own adventure. While I do not have much experience myself using those tools, I do make the artwork for type of game and have access to people who do. The game's artwork would require a different set of research to build upon the spiritualism research, mainly interior decorating trends and specific fashion choices.
Other ideas for this project:
- John Poultney Mill- using research from a previous class, presenting information about a small mill which was operational for only 2 years and exploring its connection to Noland's ferry. Research would have been continued to follow the property through the years. Most of the images would be historic maps, and GIS overlays as well as diagrams of how the mill was most likely made
- Manners of Colonial America- exploring the social nuances of the time period based on location, social class, and company. Information would be presented as a webpage with different pages for each social class. its crowning glory would be a playable game where a player uses the social graces they have learned to survive social situations. The first chapter would have been surviving a tea party, and there would be an option of playing as either the host or as a guest.
This would have been a first installment of exploring the cultures of America. The overarching idea would be to see how different cultures have influenced what we think of as "American" today. So there would be research required on immigration numbers, and then each chapter would be made corresponding to the incoming populations' previous country. The ending question of every chapter would be something along the lines of "Does your family do something like this?" - American illustrators of the Golden Age- while there are plenty of pages like this, they are mainly focused on the art only. This would be a combination of history and art.
- Magical Elixirs: Collection Exploring the Quack medicine of the Victorian Age- building a gallery of the advertisements, possibly tracking where the ads were by location, seeing if there is any patterning. Basic historical research on the time period, societal causes to their rise and the ramifications following.
Monday, June 19, 2017
Unit 5: Building a Web Culture
Currently top bar navigation has become a standard piece of web design, as it is seen on a majority of this week's websites, regardless of how the rest of the pages are laid out. This style of navigation can very easily to converted to a mobile version, condensing all the navigation buttons into a drop down menu. Another common
The pages are set with a high contrast between the text and the background colors for maximum readability. With the exception of Kuler, its a dark text on a light colored background, which is very easy of the eyes. Light text on a dark background, while it has strong contrast, can be very tiring on the eyes.
99designs. com addresses some very basic design concepts which work for both web and print design. And I have lots of feelings about design and design elements so I will elaborate a bit more about a few of their key principles.
- Using a grid is a great way to create unity on all of your websites' different pages, and then breaking your grid is an effective way to call attention to a certain element. Though you will not have to worry about setting up or selecting a grid if you use a service like Blogger or Weebly which offers templates. Then it becomes a matter of selecting a template which has the grid system built into it. In those instances, to break the grid would require coding knowledge.
- Visual hierarchy is a very important design element which combines other design elements like shape, value, and spacing to name a few. This is used in logo design, print, cinematography to name a few. What 99design focused on was the hierarchy within a single page.
- Web-safe fonts as something to look out for has become a bit of an archaic practice, as the article has noted. Most the fonts designed now are web-safe. Now when choosing fonts the thing to look out for, much like with images, is the copyright information. Many fonts will be free for non-commercial use, but its something to be a aware of. When pairing fonts, usually a serif and sans serif are used together, which creates nice contrast.
- Image and color are oddly paired together. The location of where images are placed should be a part of your grid system and should work in tandem with the placement of text blocks. Color is a difficult thing, as every screen will show colors differently and there are certain colors which just do not work for the web.
For the final project, I will most likely be using a simple web tool like Weebly or Wix to create the website and accompanying pages. They offer well designed solutions which offer many customization options. I have previously built a website using Dreamweaver using a web space account, and I found my lack of programing and coding knowledge to be a hindrance. With either Wix or Weebly, I will be able to create a more professional design with a lot less frustration and a lot less time (which seems to be of the essence as this is only an 8 week long course).
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Unit 7: Copyright and the Web
When it comes to copyright laws, I am most familiar with Intellectual Property rights from the side of a creator. As an artist, whenever you post artwork online you are opening yourself up to the possibility of the image being stolen, reposted, and sold by another party. And it happens all the time. And now this seems to be a concept of which historians are now facing in regards to creating their own web pages.
A few key phrases to remember are Creative Commons and Fair Use. With a Creative Commons copyright, the creative work will enter the Public Domain after 14 years unless extended. This allows for the work to be distributed and built upon without charge. In many cases this is only for non-commercial uses.
Fair Use is described as the fluid area of Copyright as it has the guidelines can be interpreted on a case by case basis in courts. Generally if it is being used for nonprofit and/or educational uses, if the size of what is being sampled is relatively small and/or not the central message, and will not negatively impact the market of said quoted/sampled items then you are good to use it.
Like when writing a paper, always site your source and link to the original content whenever possible. Give credit where credit is due.
The one thing Rosenzweig and Cohen mention which I disagree with is the idea of not asking creators for permission of the use of their items even if it falls within the Creative Commons. While there is a distinction between asking a large corporation or the rights to use a image clips or music and a an individual, in my experience people do not respond kindly to stumbling upon their work in places they do not expect it to be. That is when cease and desists are sent out, or large fees are charged for usage rights.
This may just be a case of the attitudes in regards to copyright have changed over time.
The Reston Musuem, Loudoun Museum, and Alexandria Archaeology feature a tag line at the bottom of the page with the copyright symbol date of latest update and their name (ex. © 2017 by Reston Historic Trust and Museum). The City of Fairfax has its own page for copyright, but it merely lists the same information as the taglines. Manassas City website has an entire page devoted to accessibility and its copyright information which is very interesting. The Cold War Museum site does not feature and copyright information that I could easily find, but the contact information is listed on every page so interested parties can easily ask.
A few key phrases to remember are Creative Commons and Fair Use. With a Creative Commons copyright, the creative work will enter the Public Domain after 14 years unless extended. This allows for the work to be distributed and built upon without charge. In many cases this is only for non-commercial uses.
Fair Use is described as the fluid area of Copyright as it has the guidelines can be interpreted on a case by case basis in courts. Generally if it is being used for nonprofit and/or educational uses, if the size of what is being sampled is relatively small and/or not the central message, and will not negatively impact the market of said quoted/sampled items then you are good to use it.
Like when writing a paper, always site your source and link to the original content whenever possible. Give credit where credit is due.
The one thing Rosenzweig and Cohen mention which I disagree with is the idea of not asking creators for permission of the use of their items even if it falls within the Creative Commons. While there is a distinction between asking a large corporation or the rights to use a image clips or music and a an individual, in my experience people do not respond kindly to stumbling upon their work in places they do not expect it to be. That is when cease and desists are sent out, or large fees are charged for usage rights.
This may just be a case of the attitudes in regards to copyright have changed over time.
The Reston Musuem, Loudoun Museum, and Alexandria Archaeology feature a tag line at the bottom of the page with the copyright symbol date of latest update and their name (ex. © 2017 by Reston Historic Trust and Museum). The City of Fairfax has its own page for copyright, but it merely lists the same information as the taglines. Manassas City website has an entire page devoted to accessibility and its copyright information which is very interesting. The Cold War Museum site does not feature and copyright information that I could easily find, but the contact information is listed on every page so interested parties can easily ask.
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Unit 4: The Evolution of the Digital Web
For Unit 4's post, we were to sort a series of digital history web
pages into chronological order and comment on the varying levels of
sophistication and design. And then my computer decided that was not
going to happen. It took a while to get back up and running, but here we
are.
Let race to catch up begin.
Chronological order with commentary
-The Valley of the Shadow - While the landing page and font choices show that this is an older web page, it does not betray how truly old it is. The first version of the web page was launched in 1993, with the most recent update being dated to 2009. Its absolutely fascinating seeing a web page so old still being used to day, and the web page navigation is very unique. And even with its interesting design choices, the design/navigation does not take away from the ability to fulfill its primary function as a resource page.
-Library Of Congress - The design has most certainly been updated many times since its initial release, Library of Congress began its web adventures in 1994. While the design is very simple, it's main goal is to function as a research tool. And it is very successful at that.
-Dickinson Electronic Archive - This page was originally launched in 1994 and according to the web page, updated until 2012. And its looks really slick until you start having to click multiple times to get to information. This was a rare occasion of form over function.
-Romantic Circles - This page uses a very simple layout, very common in the basic blog templates (much like this one). It functions and is neither offensive nor very appealing; but it is a reference page so function does rule over form. It was launched in 1996.
-Amiens Cathedral Project - I had originally thought this page was much younger than it was, and then after some exploration it becomes apparent that this is almost a glorified image gallery. But the image gallery is thorough, though a little odd to navigate. The images could really use an update in image quality.
-Life Outtacontext - Launched in 1999, this looks and feels like a personal blog. It resizes well and works on mobile, which is a struggle in this day and age.
-In Our Path - While this page was made by the same person as Life Outtacontext and is also a blog, it feels clunkier and with navigational issues. The large upper image of the street sign should be a button to redirect to the home page. The About, Alternate Routes, and Contact are not the most important bits of information yet are featured in the top navigation. I will assume it was also launched around 1999.
-Hawthorne in Salem - The website was last updated in May of 2017 and was made available to the public in 2002. The page layout is very simple yet functional, a common theme among pages which want to focus on the research. Though it could use some sprucing up as the graphics are very early 2000s and the images can now be displayed at much higher resolutions.
-Persepolis 3D - Its first update was released in 2003 with the most recent dating to April of 2008. the landing page holds great promise, but after clicking through its age becomes glaringly apparent. The entire website does not handle resizing well. If updated, it could be amazing.
-Lascaux Caves - This page presents a very interesting way to explore the caves. The 3D graphics and use of Flash are the main pieces hinting at how old this web page is. As a side note, installing the latest version of Flash to view with site is what made my computer very angry, and now it still won't load the Flash version of the site. Luckily this is a page I have visited numerous times before.
-Eye Level - The first post dates back to September of 2005, so it is a safe assumption that the blog was created in the safe time frame. The web page uses a very standard blog template which is functional, yet nothing impressive.
-The Hurricane Digital Memory Bank - The page was launched in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina and Rita, though the name is a bit misleading unless the goal is to incorporate other natural disasters as they happen. It is well designed and easy to use.
-Digital Karnak - While the copyright date at the bottom of the page reads 2008, the design and the presentation of information is great. The main place it shows its age is in its use of Quick Time video player, and how it automatically downloaded the video instead of playing it directly from the web page.
-The Avalon Project - Another simple design geared towards research. It functions, and suits its purpose. The copyright date is listed as 2008.
- April 16 Archive - Another page which feels very cookie cutter. It works, but its not amazing.
-Oyez - While I am sure this page is older than it seems, it is well designed for its primary function. It does not require too much clicking to reach pertinent information.
-Shenandoah At War - While there may have been an earlier version of this website before, the date of copyright date of 2017 coincides with the design/layout choices. The large scrolling pseudo landing page functions very well on tablets and mobile devices. It will be very interesting to see how this style of page is viewed in 5 or so years. Its a popular style that aligns with today's design trends, and can be easily made with website builder templates.
-Hallowed Ground - Another well designed site with very modern sensibilities. It is a bit more traditional than Shenandoah At War, as it feels more like a website less like a mobile site. Again, its copyright date is 2017.
There are very definite web design trends which appear, but over all most of these pages prefer function over form. They tend to focus on communicating the information, but not worrying too much about the medium, relying on the traditional usage of text.
Mount Vernon's website is very nice, and has many similarities to Hallowed Ground design wise. Another local historic website which is well designed by today's standards is the Loudoun County Museum website. They both convey information about the museums in relation to visiting hours and to the history.
Let race to catch up begin.
Chronological order with commentary
-The Valley of the Shadow - While the landing page and font choices show that this is an older web page, it does not betray how truly old it is. The first version of the web page was launched in 1993, with the most recent update being dated to 2009. Its absolutely fascinating seeing a web page so old still being used to day, and the web page navigation is very unique. And even with its interesting design choices, the design/navigation does not take away from the ability to fulfill its primary function as a resource page.
-Library Of Congress - The design has most certainly been updated many times since its initial release, Library of Congress began its web adventures in 1994. While the design is very simple, it's main goal is to function as a research tool. And it is very successful at that.
-Dickinson Electronic Archive - This page was originally launched in 1994 and according to the web page, updated until 2012. And its looks really slick until you start having to click multiple times to get to information. This was a rare occasion of form over function.
-Romantic Circles - This page uses a very simple layout, very common in the basic blog templates (much like this one). It functions and is neither offensive nor very appealing; but it is a reference page so function does rule over form. It was launched in 1996.
-Amiens Cathedral Project - I had originally thought this page was much younger than it was, and then after some exploration it becomes apparent that this is almost a glorified image gallery. But the image gallery is thorough, though a little odd to navigate. The images could really use an update in image quality.
-Life Outtacontext - Launched in 1999, this looks and feels like a personal blog. It resizes well and works on mobile, which is a struggle in this day and age.
-In Our Path - While this page was made by the same person as Life Outtacontext and is also a blog, it feels clunkier and with navigational issues. The large upper image of the street sign should be a button to redirect to the home page. The About, Alternate Routes, and Contact are not the most important bits of information yet are featured in the top navigation. I will assume it was also launched around 1999.
-Hawthorne in Salem - The website was last updated in May of 2017 and was made available to the public in 2002. The page layout is very simple yet functional, a common theme among pages which want to focus on the research. Though it could use some sprucing up as the graphics are very early 2000s and the images can now be displayed at much higher resolutions.
-Persepolis 3D - Its first update was released in 2003 with the most recent dating to April of 2008. the landing page holds great promise, but after clicking through its age becomes glaringly apparent. The entire website does not handle resizing well. If updated, it could be amazing.
-Lascaux Caves - This page presents a very interesting way to explore the caves. The 3D graphics and use of Flash are the main pieces hinting at how old this web page is. As a side note, installing the latest version of Flash to view with site is what made my computer very angry, and now it still won't load the Flash version of the site. Luckily this is a page I have visited numerous times before.
-Eye Level - The first post dates back to September of 2005, so it is a safe assumption that the blog was created in the safe time frame. The web page uses a very standard blog template which is functional, yet nothing impressive.
-The Hurricane Digital Memory Bank - The page was launched in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina and Rita, though the name is a bit misleading unless the goal is to incorporate other natural disasters as they happen. It is well designed and easy to use.
-Digital Karnak - While the copyright date at the bottom of the page reads 2008, the design and the presentation of information is great. The main place it shows its age is in its use of Quick Time video player, and how it automatically downloaded the video instead of playing it directly from the web page.
-The Avalon Project - Another simple design geared towards research. It functions, and suits its purpose. The copyright date is listed as 2008.
- April 16 Archive - Another page which feels very cookie cutter. It works, but its not amazing.
-Oyez - While I am sure this page is older than it seems, it is well designed for its primary function. It does not require too much clicking to reach pertinent information.
-Shenandoah At War - While there may have been an earlier version of this website before, the date of copyright date of 2017 coincides with the design/layout choices. The large scrolling pseudo landing page functions very well on tablets and mobile devices. It will be very interesting to see how this style of page is viewed in 5 or so years. Its a popular style that aligns with today's design trends, and can be easily made with website builder templates.
-Hallowed Ground - Another well designed site with very modern sensibilities. It is a bit more traditional than Shenandoah At War, as it feels more like a website less like a mobile site. Again, its copyright date is 2017.
There are very definite web design trends which appear, but over all most of these pages prefer function over form. They tend to focus on communicating the information, but not worrying too much about the medium, relying on the traditional usage of text.
Mount Vernon's website is very nice, and has many similarities to Hallowed Ground design wise. Another local historic website which is well designed by today's standards is the Loudoun County Museum website. They both convey information about the museums in relation to visiting hours and to the history.
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Unit 3: The Multi-Talented Blog & Social Media
This unit we are exploring the many functions a blog can perform and historic locations social media presence.
Kenmore, which is also run by the same folks as Ferry Farm, runs a blog devoted to documenting the restoration and refurnishing of the Kenmore Estate. It covers everything from the installation of a new rug to jewelry placed on a nightstand. And the most interesting part for someone who likes history is that they go into detail about why and how they came to the decision to include those items. It is like a small insight to their official furnishing plan. That blog can be found here.
In this day and age nearly everyone has a Facebook, and Ferry Farm and Historic Kenmore is no exception. Though not nearly as inventive as their use of blogs, it still is updated regularly featuring photos or posts about upcoming events. That can be visited here.
One of my favorite blogs to follow is People of Color in European Art History which does exactly what its title suggests. In some cases there is a longer discourse about the people in the paintings, why they were painted and the general history of the piece. There is the occasional lengthy debate about the depiction of the Middle Ages in media and the racial diversity or lack there of.
The Fugitive Leaves is a blog for The Historical Medical Library of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. According to the about tab, it is run in the likeness a newsletter and often highlights interesting tidbits of their collection. It is updated regularly and as a side note The Historical Medical Library website uses Omeka which is Rosenzweig's project at GMU (link). The college's website can be found here, and the library's here.
The Fugitive Leaves is a blog for The Historical Medical Library of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. According to the about tab, it is run in the likeness a newsletter and often highlights interesting tidbits of their collection. It is updated regularly and as a side note The Historical Medical Library website uses Omeka which is Rosenzweig's project at GMU (link). The college's website can be found here, and the library's here.
For new pages to follow on Facebook, I've decided to follow Omeka, the Getty Foundation, and the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. I like to at least try and stay up to date on technology and Omeka seems to have many uses and I'd like to see how people make use of it. And to be honest, I am a bit ashamed that I haven't heard about it before this class. The Getty Foundation and American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works both focus more on visual art and its preservation which I would like to learn more about. The Getty Foundation is more involved on a global scale, while the other is more about networking in the States.
Also, I will be following a blog Caitlin discusses, Marie Antoinette's Gossip Guide to the 18th Century. It aligns with my interests and I find how it presents historical information a great way to to thoroughly learn about a time period. I only wish it was on tumblr, which I find to be easier to stay updated on content.
Also, I will be following a blog Caitlin discusses, Marie Antoinette's Gossip Guide to the 18th Century. It aligns with my interests and I find how it presents historical information a great way to to thoroughly learn about a time period. I only wish it was on tumblr, which I find to be easier to stay updated on content.
Sunday, May 28, 2017
Unit 2: The Local Digital History Scene
While reading the introduction for Digital History: A Guide to Gathering, Preserving, and Presenting the Past on the Web, found here, I was very struck how relevant Rosenzweig's seven qualities and five hazards of digital media still are despite the publication date. I knew they had to have some useful information or else its reading would not have been assigned, yet time moves very quickly in regards to technology and web design so anything written usually requires frequent updates. By sticking to some core universal content and design concepts, the introduction was able to withstand the test of time. Hopefully the rest of the book holds up as well.
Of the concepts presented, the concept I believe which is most discussed today is the problem of inaccurate data on the web. We judge the credibility of information based on the design of the page we read it from. A well laid out page with a well designed business logo is usually a sign of a credible source who has at least fact checked their information before presenting it with their usual biases. But through that unwritten rule of well designed websites and skillful naming of web pages, an alarming amount of websites spouting incorrect data have been able to pass themselves off as news sources, beguiling the uninformed readers who then share and spread the misinformation. Yet now there has been a push through social networks to educate people not only on the dangers of misinformation, but how to spot and then stop the spread of it in the first place. Here is a recent CNN article about the involvement of Facebook and its attempts to stop the spreading of fake news (link).
While the text discusses at length the issue of photoshopped images and forgeries, today a simple reverse image search can help trace the image to its source and then compare to see if or how much it had been altered. And now with the rise of memes, there are plenty of photoshopped images of impossible scenarios, whether it is the gifs of Confused John Travolta or the many iterations of President Trump in Saudi Arabia touching an orb. And yet no one is trying to argue that those are what actually happened because of how they are usually presented.
For the final project, I am toying with two possible ideas. The first being a continuation of my project from Historical Archaeology class, The John Poultney Mill and the two years it was in operation along the Old Carolina Road. The second being researching the Chapman's Mill; it was suggested to me since the Field Survey of Archaeology Techniques class I am also taking is going to feature a fair amount of time devoted to the Mill.
As far as commentary on local university and public library's websites, I find it is very useful that many of them allow for their collections to be searched without having to physically be in the libraries. It makes trips to them far more productive since that allows you to plan out which books or documents will need to be pulled.
Last semester I spent a lot of time in the Balch Library in Leesburg, and I would have to carefully plan my visits making many lists of what material would need to be accessed when I finally was able to take a half day from work to get to the library during their hours of operation. Many libraries may fear putting too much information online will stop patrons from actually visiting their location, when in fact it would make the information available for people not in the immediate area. This idea is touched upon in Rosenzweig as well and I cannot wait to get to that chapter.
Of the concepts presented, the concept I believe which is most discussed today is the problem of inaccurate data on the web. We judge the credibility of information based on the design of the page we read it from. A well laid out page with a well designed business logo is usually a sign of a credible source who has at least fact checked their information before presenting it with their usual biases. But through that unwritten rule of well designed websites and skillful naming of web pages, an alarming amount of websites spouting incorrect data have been able to pass themselves off as news sources, beguiling the uninformed readers who then share and spread the misinformation. Yet now there has been a push through social networks to educate people not only on the dangers of misinformation, but how to spot and then stop the spread of it in the first place. Here is a recent CNN article about the involvement of Facebook and its attempts to stop the spreading of fake news (link).
While the text discusses at length the issue of photoshopped images and forgeries, today a simple reverse image search can help trace the image to its source and then compare to see if or how much it had been altered. And now with the rise of memes, there are plenty of photoshopped images of impossible scenarios, whether it is the gifs of Confused John Travolta or the many iterations of President Trump in Saudi Arabia touching an orb. And yet no one is trying to argue that those are what actually happened because of how they are usually presented.
For the final project, I am toying with two possible ideas. The first being a continuation of my project from Historical Archaeology class, The John Poultney Mill and the two years it was in operation along the Old Carolina Road. The second being researching the Chapman's Mill; it was suggested to me since the Field Survey of Archaeology Techniques class I am also taking is going to feature a fair amount of time devoted to the Mill.
As far as commentary on local university and public library's websites, I find it is very useful that many of them allow for their collections to be searched without having to physically be in the libraries. It makes trips to them far more productive since that allows you to plan out which books or documents will need to be pulled.
Last semester I spent a lot of time in the Balch Library in Leesburg, and I would have to carefully plan my visits making many lists of what material would need to be accessed when I finally was able to take a half day from work to get to the library during their hours of operation. Many libraries may fear putting too much information online will stop patrons from actually visiting their location, when in fact it would make the information available for people not in the immediate area. This idea is touched upon in Rosenzweig as well and I cannot wait to get to that chapter.
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