Wikipedia: Friend or Foe?

I must admit, I tried really hard to accept the supporting argument for Wikipedia during the Middlebury College debate, but I still have mixed feelings about wikipedia and its use in higher education.  I understand that it has the positive aspects of being an open forum and that there are volunteers who "patrol" the pages for factual errors.  I also must admit that I have gone to wikipedia on occasion for a quick bit of information--but I always go elsewhere to verify.  But using this site in any sort of academic sense to me is simply unacceptable.

My frustration stems largely from the fact that my own brother admitted that when he has free time at work he looks up some of his favorite historical subjects and proceeds to read page upon page on wikipedia.  I am really glad that he likes history, Wall Street exec that he is, but I feel obligated to stop this, even if he is not using this information in a paper or as part of research. I am horrified that he is soaking up potentially wrong information, and possibly spreading this misinformation in everyday conversation.  I might be overreacting, but facts are facts, and as the Middlebury College debate alerted me, Wikipedia does not deal in originial scholarship, just facts. (Which I also just learned is not protected by copyright...very interesting.)  But back to the point--I am a firm believer in squelching ignorance and misinformation where I can, and thus am not tolerant at all to any misleading articles on wikipedia.

For example, I looked at several history articles, examining their discussion sections as well.  Whether I was looking at an article covering a semi-controversial topic (Medgar Evers and his assassination in 1963), or a topic less immediate to the American population--Henry VIII--I found several instances in the discussion tab where a problem was identified, the author agreed to remove the information, yet when I went through the article, the misinformation was still there.  And I only looked at a few of the several thousand articles that exist on this site. 

Basically, I will be purchasing my brother some books for Christmas, or perhaps find a good site that digitizes a large selection of historical topics....

Bloggers simplify, and share new digital creations

Checking through the two blogs I have been following, I found a very interesting post two days ago from "Publishing the Long Civil Rights Movement."  The author announced the recent creation of an e-book.  The original book, Blowout! Sal Castro and the Struggle for Educational Justice, was recently published and includes numerous oral histories.  Because of this feature, the creation of an e-book made perfect sense, and truly represents the way in which digitalization can enhance written history and reach a wider audience.  Also, hearing these oral histories could have more of an impact for those truly wishing to experience history, rather than simply reading the words.  Tone, pacing, and intensity are all characteristics of speech which can send a message or create a particular mood that can be completely lost in text.  I look forward to exploring the e-book version of this text.

The other blog I have been following, "The Old, Weird America," has yet to post something new, yet I am continuing to make my way through its older posts, learning more and more about the topic, American folk music.  I really enjoy the interactivity of the site, reading about a certain song, then being able to listen to it.  The site also has changed its format since I have last been on the blog.  With a much simpler style--white background with a simply design in the upper right hand corner--I am much less distracted and more likely to continue to read without feeling overwhelmed.

Finally starting to look like a project...

I am with complete agreement with classmate Blake--"group" and "project" and normally two words I pray not to hear in a classroom setting.  The actual projects are never bad... relying on others to stay on the same page as you to complete the work has always been a completely different story, especially in high school and undergrad.  But I am very excited to get started on this online exhibit with Jacquelyn, Melissa, and Christine. Everyone has been great in completing research on time and contributing thoughts and ideas to the overall project's goal.  I am looking forward to a great semester working with these ladies.

Getting back into Special Collections was also a great experience.  I think everyone by this point is well aware of my affinity for libraries and the experience of physically checking out a book.  Going into special collections is always a special treat for me--just seeing the old bindings brings a smile to my face.  I looked at  numerous print images as preparatory research--blueprints, architectural renderings, and postcards from the Mary Boyer collection.  This is what always draws us back to history when we begin to get bogged down with the theories and the concepts and the dates.  

Tryon Street, looking south by night. Courtesy UNCC Special Collections

Yet I am a little nervous about using Omeka.  The plugins are fairly self-explanatory, but I cannot envision how all of these parts are put together--the actual creation is too abstract for me to grasp at this point.  Once I am more familiar with the program and actually begin to utilize it, I am sure the pieces will fall into place.  But until then, I will be curious as to the time tables we have set for ourselves.  Considering I am not sure how it all works, I can't possibly know how LONG it will take to complete any one section of the project.

Horrors I know not of... Hurrican Digital Memory Bank

Having grown up in a suburb of Philadelphia, the only weather phenomena I was ever troubled with (or as a 6 year-old, delighted with), were snow-storms.  Even so, the largest storm I can remember was that of 1996, when I believe we received about 3 1/2 feet of snow in one fell swoop. 

Searching the archives of Hurricane Digital Memory Bank, I encountered horrific images and first-hand stories of the death and destruction brought on by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  Categorized by images, stories, oral histories, video, map, and tags, HDMB offers various ways to peruse the site's collections of media. 

The site hopes that by allowing those directly affected by the tragedy to share their stories, a "positive legacy" will be created, and those in the future can look back and remember not just the storm, but the people whose lives it changed forever.

In order to add a memory to the site's data bank, one has only to click, click, type.... and it's sent in.  You can publish by name or anonymously.  Very easy to use, very inviting to search and learn.  Additionally, the color palette is calming and appropriate for the subject matter. 

This site excellently gives "status" to American memory, providing it a place in the archival world right alongside academic research and communication.

Unexpected excitement: omeka plug-ins!!

After perusing Omeka's various plug-in options, I came upon an option called Neatline.  This feature allows the creation of complex geographical maps that connect to timelines.  By collecting various data--whether it be buildings, people, letters, or events--this plug-in provides the opportunity to plot out various features in accordance with time.  The creator can model change over time, using lines, color, vectors, etc. to enable visitors to the site to interact with the material.

This plug-in will prove invaluable to our group because of our focus on Charlotte architecture.  For each buildling we choose to discuss, we will be able to plot this building on our neatline map, adding the year in which is was built, remodeled, torn down, etc.  While a discussion of the buildlings themselves and their influence in Charlotte's history is fascinating, being able to physically see where these buildings fit in with their surroundings will be a great addition to the overall exhibit. 

Below, the example provided by Omeka shows how a website utilized Neatline to map out the Civil War Battle of Chancellorsville.