Unit 16: Final thoughts and suggestions

The ending to this chapter is definitely a bitter-sweet one. This class was extremely fast paced, however I learned so much useful information in such a short time. I will never look at historians and history through digital media the same. The professor is passionate in keeping history alive, making sure that his students are knowledgeable in the field, and making sure we leave the class with a better understanding on what it is like, historically, in the digital world. I learned of many websites that I never knew existed but have a TON of informational data to view and learn from.  I also appreciated the way the Professor organized each module to his own with the hyperlinks for easy access and compartmentalizing information. At first, this seems very intimidating, and I wasn't sure if this was going to be a good class for me but as it went on, I had a better appreciation for the setup. Most students, myself included, are so used to the standard use of Canvas that this seemed a bit overwhelming, and honestly senseless, until you actually go through the modules and understand why they are setup the way they are. It is different, refreshing, and exactly what I would expect from a digital media class. In regard to this, I have two suggestions: The first would be to add a video or explanation in the very beginning of the class to the class that it is not a traditional Canvas using class and that all modules will take you to outside links where the work will be listed out and contained and not to be overwhelmed with the hyperlinks, they are there to make your work much easier and have mostly everything you will need for the course; Secondly, I would suggest that the professor take some time to go back and review every single hyperlink to include the ones navigating you to the NVCC website as many of them have expired  and are no longer useful. 

Overall, I loved that I got to choose the topic of my projects with guidance from my professor and that I learned many ways to help myself in the future digitally. The professor is very communicative and understanding and really enjoys teaching. I would totally recommend this class if you wanted to learn and explore history and the digital world or just want to do something hands on, while learning history, in a non-overwhelming way, and create many different projects on many platforms- that was my favorite part, especially this blog... I would have never thought I was capable of this but look at me go!!

If this class isn't something that interests you, that's okay. I do hope though, that you will take the time to learn something new or take a class that you never thought you would as you'll never know what's out there that you may enjoy!

Unit 16: Class Critique for Unit 15: Final project

 After reviewing some of my classmates' final projects, I was absolutely amazed by the details and time that Nicole put into her website, The Sinking of the MV Sewol. I can tell that she was very passionate and empathetic on her subject and that it wasn't just a final project for her. This was very well created and setup (& worth the share!).  Once classmate stuck to pretty much one topic throughout class, but I appreciated the diversity of the projects the other students created. Several completed transcriptions and they did an excellent job- the time and effort to translate properly another person's thoughts and ideas and by completing it digitally is super challenging, so I applaud them for taking that on! Overall, with the points for the final project I think we all did a fantastic job, and the tools from the class probably made it the hardest timewise, but the easiest to create! Great job, fellow historians of digital media!!

Timeline Critiques

After reviewing the timelines of my class, I'd have to say that I enjoyed viewing the basic layout of the users that chose to use Timetoast to display their timeline as opposed to Sutori. However, I much rather view the information with a scroll and well categorized information and pictures, than having to click on each data set for viewing. I think Timetoast looks more simplistic and your able to see dates in one place rather than having to scroll down but I don't think it conveys as clear cut on the eyes. With that being said, I think the USAG Sexual Assault Scandal was the most informative, and easy to follow while leaving with a boatload of information.

Module 14: User Participation Projects and Crowdsourcing (Genealogy)

 User participation projects and crowdsourcing are common uses in projects all over the web. In fact, I bet you don't even realize that your part of this user participation when your inputting basic info into a chat or comment on your social media. There are so many different categories of groups on Facebook and it's amazing that we can actually put information that we have to give knowledge to others, and sometimes add it to discovering something we weren't aware of. Many times, I've seen people that I don't know, that don't know each other, comment under a post with a "Just wanted to say hi as I see we have the same last name" comment. And based on the persons personality behind the computer or phone most likely, they either say a quick "Hi" back or it turns into a discussion about family history that then transpires to their inbox. 

 I found a site that I thought was incredible and a perfect example of these called The Virginia Genealogy Society. This site is a Virginia based family genealogy site composed of many users inputting and logging history to tell stories. You can look up surnames and find their counties, research military records of family members who may have served, and personal records in public places. I like that site is based for Virginia and has good, narrowed down, informative information without having to start nation -wide or even country wide. 

Another site that I use frequently is good ol' Facebook. There are so many groups related to crime and change their name as the newest story comes in and the information that that these participants give is amazing. Like any site when people have the capabilities to give information, you can't always assume that it's correct or credible. I think that's what makes user participation so fascinating is that for one person that comments something wrong or irresponsibly, there's two more people that have the knowledge to fact check them. In fact, I have always appreciated a good biography and typically only read and watch non-fiction and where can you always find a good documentary (even if it's potentially biased)? Yep, Netflix! I watched a documentary called 'Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer' and even though I didn't see this on Facebook myself in one of the many crime solving groups I'm in, this was an amazing documentary to show how useful user participation can be. Now, this documentary isn't for the faint of heart and you can tell that by the title, but these people were fully involved in helping find an Internet Killer.  

Reverting back to Facebook...there are many groups and pages that are super useful for us to crowdsource and have user participation in. That includes one of the many Virginia sites you could do a quick search to find but this particular one is simply called, Virginia History. The sites' goal is to help promote and preserve Virginia history and like most anything on Facebook, it allows you to interact and share at your leisure!

 

Story mapping thoughts

 The class and I did some story mapping utilizing GIS or Geospatial Information Systems. This was way more challenging than I anticipated, and I think because of my difficulties and considering they may have experienced the same challenges, we all did pretty well.  There are so many advanced GIS websites that we viewed, that I feel like ours were more educational based than mapping. We all seemed to have equivocal maps and matching historical info, so I believe they compare well to our beginner's knowledge and for that, everyone deserves credit. But If I had to choose the best map out of all the maps the students implemented into their mapping, it would be the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011, as there is a ton of data on the map, and it's the most appealing. 

Module 12: Data Visualization

 Back when we were kids, using data for comparison, whether it be to see who was the tallest in the class or which kid was likely to be school president, we used charts or graphs. These were likely to be made on sheets of construction paper using markers, but it was a fun, interactive way of learning while being able to compare data. With the growth of technology came the capabilities of being able to use digital graphing, mapping, and logging data that is there for the long haul, and didn't get wet, and smeared by the drip of lunch that you were having on top of your chart!

I had the task of finding some online data sets that I think would benefit from data visualization upgrades to making the information easy to read, and more appealing to the viewer. When I think of what I want to be looking at as a researcher, I want data that's easy to follow, easy to breakdown, and easy on the eyes! I would love to see UN Data implement data charting that were way easier to follow. There are tons of data on their site that probably has been overlooked many times due to the poor nature of the placement and lack of updates. We're talking general, social, economic, and environmental data that could be used way more pleasantly for the viewer. Next site that I think would benefit from some updates would be the NYC Open data. Okay, this site is fantastic and has a ton of information. I appreciate being able to find so much data in one place, but the layout is crammed and not updated either. They have everything from collisions to film permits, to the squirrel census! I could totally browse this site as there is so much to view but being that the data isn't very appealing, I'd get bored extremely easy! I'd really love to see this data in a different format.

I decided to look into some data visualization topics that interest me and see if there was anything that I could find worth noting. The first one I came across was a site called Charts. It's literally a site that uses data visualization to compare and analyze the charts being used for data visualization. Although that isn't super intriguing, I did think it was neat way to compare and contrast how data is being used on the web.  The next site I found, which happens to be my favorite, is about every Solar eclipse happening in your lifetime, by The Washington Post. This is by far an amazing display of data visualization using many forms to include an interactive globe, and a variety of graphs and maps about solar eclipses over the years. 

Unlike coloring a graph on scrap paper with crayons and scanning into the web, there is way more that goes into data visualization charting and it isn't easy as one presumes. If you're wondering, "How hard could it be?" We're talking creating a graph, digitizing it, and then coding it; This is by far not nearly as basic as it seems.  I won't be too hard on the sites above that have yet to implement their data more visually because after all, they do have a ton of information and it would be extremely time consuming, but comparing it to The Washington Post's data, they could definitely learn a thing or two about keeping the researching wanting more!

Module 9- Thoughts on sites and boards of fellow classmates

When you're in a class with other students, especially at a college level, you tend to learn that no two people are alike. We are all different in so many ways. We all have our own ideas, likes and dislikes, backgrounds, and learning styles. Since were generally working independently, no two styles or projects should be the same. In fact, we all have the same guidelines and requirements, but you can tell by each of our sites and boards that we have different interests, passions, views, and styles of work. 

I learned some really interesting facts about many different subjects and appreciated their view on them. I could tell, along with my sites, that they were coming from a place of personal interest, and I appreciate that. I preferred to view the boards that didn't correlate with the sites as it was another opportunity for me to learn in which I did. I didn't find much interest in the site that was about a coffee maker, even though the site is super clean, modern, and eye-catching, as it's not something that interests me; However, the board created by that same classmate kept my attention and had nothing to do with her site. I'm a partially biased learner in that I love to learn about women in history so those were the most enjoyable topics for me.  I liked the board a classmate did in regard to a city as opposed to the site of the city because it was much easier for me to see the images more clearly and personal- this goes vice versa for the site about the women in war. 

Overall, we are all learning, and I think we have a new appreciation to what goes into making our own websites and boards. There tends to be a disconnect when looking on the internet about what's behind the basics of what you're viewing without even knowing it.  I know now that there is plenty going into creating a website, blog, or board and that alone gives me a new outlook and appreciation. I've had to alter themes, colors, fonts, pictures to fit certain spaces, and verify copyright to be sure I'm not breaking any laws on the web. I'd say, we have all done a great job with the tools and knowledge we've been given in such a short period of time, and we will do nothing but get better as we go.

Module 9: Real vs. unreal on the digital web

This was an interesting unit to cover about the reality and false sense that can be given by the world of digitized history. I've never put much thought into how I actually feel about being able to view history and artifacts over the web without utilizing the very senses I was born with to do so. To me, I actually do appreciate the smell and feel of the newspaper, but I also don't seem to mind getting some of my news source from the internet. It's weird to think the world is ever so evolving into what could be a false sense of reality and without seeing something, do we actually even know if it exists. I mean, we know a newspaper exists and that it gives us some relevancy in the world in which we've grown to trust that were getting the most up-to-date and factual information out there- so the suggestion that if were to make newspapers obsolete means that were getting only false narrative on the web seems a bit far-fetched (although you really can't believe everything you see no matter where it comes from). My point on this matter seems that you can alter or change an original to fit the viewers narrative.

There was recently a video I watched on YouTube called How 3D printing can preserve history and it was actually pretty interesting and questionable at the same time. This woman took the digital images from a statue(s) that was destroyed and replicated them using a 3D printer. Those reprints are the closest thing you will see/touch/view in real time besides the digital images of the statues prior to their demise. I mean, there could be someone else who replicated them as well but that's not my point here. This woman has the capabilities, and she says this herself to some degree, to alter or make minor adjustments to keep the history alive. Okay, so you're technically not viewing the original so does it matter that any adjustments were made to fit the authors narrative? I mean it's like two people writing a book about one town but there's two different authors and two different views. Same town, same buildings, different views. I'm not sure that this could be actually considered a real replication of the statue but if that's all we have to go off of, then I guess we would think it was. 

Let's talk artifacts and museum history. I recently did a virtual tour of a museum in California called The J. Paul Getty Museum. I viewed several rooms that housed the exhibit of artifacts from Mesopotamia. This was an extremely cool visit and unlike anything I'd ever done. I've done a virtual tour in other museums and even viewed some painting in the Getty Museum as well, but this was by far the best virtual view of them all. The only critique I have is that I wish I had a bit more control over viewing the artifacts but overall, the setup was great and well thought out. I got to see some of these pieces very up close and personal, but I also had a sense of non-reality. Obviously, these items are digitized and uploaded to their site but has a hands-on person who really enjoys using all my senses, I started to question if what I was actually viewing was a web replication or the real deal?  I really enjoyed being able to see how they were displayed in the museum and having an up close and personal view but to me, I prefer to see something firsthand.  I prefer to smell and feel the newspaper. I prefer to walk the hall and view the statue and look at every detail up close and not guided by the view of what someone else wants me to see. I have such a better appreciation for something when it's there in front of me. There is an exception though. I am highly appreciative of transcriptions and digitized writings that I'm able to view from the web. This is the only exception. I appreciate the capability to view the paper up close and see the dots of lead from the pencil and the correction line of a drawing that you would otherwise miss from viewing an artifact further away or in a clear case.

 Either way, I don't feel there will ever be a clear-cut, right or wrong answer on the reality vs. non-reality of the world and digitized web. I say this because just like our learning styles, we all have different ways on which we view material and objects. I think people tend to also adapt with time and don't even give a second thought to something of this nature; Perhaps they just take whatever is given to them and go from there. There's no real substance, just view whatever it is in front of them and move along. I'll continue to read and look at everything I can in person until I can't anymore because that gives me the most value and appreciation of something at this time. 

Module 5: The information age and the sources you have so close, yet so far away

There's so much information out there on the web. Some more reachable than others, and some more valuable than others. You can search for most anything on the internet and this day in age, it seems like the go-to search engine is Google. If you have a question and don't know the answer, typically the first thing you would do is Google it! I remember being in elementary school... even early middle school and any projects or research history, biography, or anything that required extensive research that was due for class was all done on an encyclopedia. I'd go home, and on a shelf there would be a dusty full set of Encyclopedia books in Alphabetical orders. Those books were so useful, sometimes boring, but useful! They've also become so underrated and to my knowledge, almost extinct! I feel like I lost a sense of my childhood and may actually consider finding a full, intact edition to add to my at home library. Anyhow, everything has changed so much since we've come into such a progressing digital age. So much so, that not even Google can find what your looking for all the time. There's so many great, informational resources that don't get enough credit therefore aren't generated in basic searches enough. In order to really get the best information in relation to history, utilizing the search engines with the most relatable information is your best bet. For instance, if your wanting to know the history of your county, searching your local libraries and colleges would bring about way more direct information than a Google search would. I decided to do a little research and see what I found relevant at a few different sites. 

I've looked a bit at a local library site, Prince William Public Libraries  and browsed a bit to see what was there. Initially it was a bit confusing, but I found my way.  I stumbled upon what I had previously mentioned that was offered to my daughter in elementary school which was an entire digital library that could be used anywhere! As long as you had your library card, you were free to enter and browse the hundreds of topics and information at your fingertips. I also found other resource information ranging  from The New York Times Historical Newspaper Collection, to biographies, and baking. You're able to view ancestry information for Virginians and also download all your state documents in one place. What I thought was neat about this site was that you could read, listen, or watch many resources in their digital section, and each of those categories had a sub category to choose from. If I were looking for information from a Newspaper, this would be a great source the find that. They had many digitized newspaper collections which includes the date ranges of publications which helps take some of the guess work out. 

Next, I headed over to the NOVA Campus library to see what I could find and what was the most interesting to me. There were of course the typical college research guides listed by subject and a multimedia section to access video, audio, and images, but my favorite was the College history section called Nova Historical Collections. This area of the digital catalog allows the viewer to have access to information such as annual reports, yearbooks from previous years, and commencement programs. What I wasn't thrilled about was that I wasn't able to actually click any of the listed information and didn't have an easy time finding it utilizing the search option. I'll have to spend more time navigating that feature and find where it leads me to. Overall, their database is decently large and the site is user friendly and offers tons of educational material to your fingertips. It was also a bonus that I didn't have to login to access the titles that I clicked on to try out either. If your looking for college resources or even history on any specific college, going directly to that website seems to be the most valuable way to go.

Since I live in Virginia, I thought the next best stop to check out some digital media would be the The Library of Virginia. They've got their main page in subsections based on who you are and what your looking to achieve by visiting the site- I like that, simple and not wasting much time with what I need.  I went on to look at the Virginia Memory section which was super intriguing. I went under the Making History section and entered the Transcribe subsection which opened a world that collided the past and the present. I say collided because it allowed the preservation of the past while using the digital technology of the present to make it exceptionally easy to view something that you wouldn't so easily be able to read and definitely much more complex to get your actual hands on.  I was fascinated with the historical transcripts. I was able to bring them in, close and personal, and really take in the beauty of the original writing.  If you appreciate the context of this type of history in such detail, head over to your local state library, or any state library and see if you are also able to find digitized historical material like this. I've always leaned more towards biography, and non-fictional reads, so I can enthusiastically say, I will be returning to this site and searching many more state libraries to see if I can find more transcriptions or handwritten documents like I did today. 

Module 4: Culture and design of the internet

Upon the readings from Rosenzweig this unit and many different web pages, I've noted that there are many different do's and don'ts when creating your own blog or website. Most of what I've read and learned, I would have never even thought of when creating my own space on an internet platform. It seems there isn't enough material, literature wise, in regards to academic or basic web design even though web design has been in the works for over a decade and is ever-growing. You will find some books, however, they're geared more towards commercial design. 

If you've browsed the internet like me, you've seen that each page is created towards the person who's created it, or so you thought. I've learned that most successful pages do well based on a few rules that have been made to keep the reader entertained and returning & making your page for you, isn't on the agenda. The site, 4 key principles of web design, has some really great basic starter points when wanting to dive into the culture of creating your own entity in the web world. It seems that the most important takeaways from both Rosenzweig's readings and the collective internet files is mostly similar: Create a basic & simple page for your viewer, not yourself. Consider the different media and information your outsourcing as they can be deleted, altered, or compromised at any time. Make sure the links that are attached to your page are decent rather than optimal to keep your viewer browsing and interested- after all, you want repeat readers. Keep your page clean, neat, and basic-appealing to the eye-you want to be sure your page not only attracts those with similarities but also those who you wouldn't consider your typical viewer. Make sure the focus and intent doesn't inhibit the reader to distort historical understanding or alter any artistic views. Be sure to keep those that are colorblind in mind! Wow! Those were some great tips that I would have never considered especially the colorblind one. I'm a mom and tend to think I plan ahead and think of everyone and everything but I see, I'm lacking on the internet 101!

With these tips in mind, I went back and completely changed the theme/style of my page (which is still a work in process, FYI! 😉). I changed all my fonts to align better with the 101 basics I learned, however,  I'm still not sure those are totally accurate but I'm learning!  I changed some color schemes on hyperlinks as they were pretty dull colored so there wouldn't be any issues reading them no matter the eye situation. I played around with the layout a bit  and didn't implement many changes, but I think as I continue to utilize the blog more, I will have a much easier time molding it into what it should be. I'm also still finding it a bit bulky as far as the wording aligns so I will make changes and adjust it as I go but I really wanted to get a feel for how a third blog would look before I did so. If you're just starting out and joining me on this adventure, don't be surprised to see some great, educated, changes and an amazing finished product (hopefully) by the last module!

Module 3: Multi-talented blogs and online historical findings

 The history of multi-talented blogs, such as website blogs, strict topic blog sites, and social media forums, aren't new to me as an avid user of digital media, but being able to indulge myself in the history and back story of how these become sources divided is quite interesting. The details that differentiate the many types of digital media we encounter on a daily basis, and how were looking & utilizing these sources of information is extremely informative. I'm not sure about you but I've never put much thought on the way the context of the media is really setup as opposed to just viewing the information that I'm given. 

I found an interesting blog called Civil War Memory which is written by a passionate Bostonian, Kevin Levin  ("No, the name does not rhyme")- he's also a little funny too! This blog is setup for the reader to  initially recognize all Kevin's notable accomplishments and background information as if he's offering a menu but without the prices. His blog also offers many topics of discussion regarding history of the civil war and surrounding interest. The setup is initially more of a sales type and geared towards him being 'for hire' for a future event. This is a true blog that initiates a goal in the beginning before viewing any of his postings which tells me a little about the audience he intends to attract.       

Another blog I've reviewed is similar to Kevin's blog;  It's just a basic blog, not differentiated as a website or another type of  media, but it has no intention to solicit services to the reader. This blog is called Women of History  created and ran by Melisende/ Musings on Melisende. This blog is exactly what the title suggests and to me, nothing short of amazing! This was definitely geared towards someone like myself who has major interests in learning about accomplished woman in history. It's setup is easy to navigate, eye-catching with great photos attached to her blog postings, and offers the reader capabilities to find a wide variety of wonderful information and context in one place. Both Kevin and Melisende have a blog and the same intention on capturing a specific audience, however, they are setup entirely different and in my opinion, the latter is the most straight forward and allows the reader to jump right in and indulge the information.   

I also appreciated the context of an entirely different blog that I reviewed and loved the way the reader captures the audience. As opposed to many other blogs that have a broad range of topics under one umbrella, or one that offers the reader the opportunity to speak at an event, this blog is setup as a story-line; How brilliant is that! The blog is called WW1: Experiences of an English Soldier  and it is written by the grandson of, Private Harry Lamin, who was born in England and enlisted to fight in the first World War. Harry's grandson was handed down all Harry's letters that were saved by the receiving family members during Harrys time serving in the War and instead of letting them sit, he put them to use. This blog is setup as a memoir and each individual post and is a dictation of an actual, handwritten encountered letter the Private himself! I can't tell you how excited that makes me as a reader to have the opportunity to experience something so personal! So initially, in order to continue to follow the story, you'd have to patiently wait until the next blog was posted. Since this blog was written many years ago, we now have the capabilities to go back and read it all at once which is still exciting in my opinion. This blog has gained many followers and I can see why. Each of the blogs offers their own individual goals, topics, and layouts to display their purpose. All of these bloggers are so different but they share a huge commonality which is sharing the passion of being a blogger.     

I've hopped off the web browser for a bit and decided to check out some different styles of blogging on social media. I headed over to good old Facebook to see what kind of historical blogs I could find and see how interactive they were. The hardest part about joining any digital media these days is that even though the site or group is there and created, it's been forgotten about. I've noticed this happens quite frequently on social media platforms such as Facebook.  Facebooks allows anyone that wants to create a group to do so without any initial, boundary-leading, screening process. Although it does end up archiving after a certain period of time when it's idle, it doesn't prevent it from catching those that are only offering context into their groups once every two weeks or so. For me, the forum between a social media blog and web based blogs differ in that social media has a platform to allow hundreds of thousands of bloggers in one group to offer input with the capabilities to post at their leisure.

Anyhow, during my hunt on Facebook, I joined the Facebook page called 'World Ancient History' which is a collection of posts from many attributers and is very active. The rules were solid which was seller for me; No conspiracy theories, information must be attached on each post with it's origin in time of history, and must be before the 1600's. The post consists of artifacts, architectural structures, tribes, you name it! This site offers plenty to look at and requires pictures for each post which makes it much more appealing to the eye! It's strict, had good guidelines and offers great moderation.

The next group I followed was more of a laid-back, possibly semi-factual group that separates itself from the categorized history groups to a different community of people and their histories. The group is called 'Haunted History of Kentucky". I joined this group as way to experience a different kind of history blogging. It allows me to compare the type of viewers from more of a traditional historian blog to a more laid back type of blog. This group only has one rule and that's to be courteous so I'm sure some of the posts aren't being reviewed much either. There is definitely some really great info as there's always a certain feeling you get when you think of hauntings. I can't guarantee all the history is factual but that's part of anything you do now on the internet!

The fact that there is access to so much data at our fingertips is amazing. Learning who is targeting who and why is also neat when you look beyond the headline. In my searches, I think that I've found plenty more non-factual information from the social media platforms than I did the web-based blogs and even tend to wonder when I see something if it's even part of history.