[mattprez397]

Final Post and Tumblr Reflection

The conclusion of Weller’s book History in the Digital Age discusses some very important topics regarding many of the things discussed within class.  First, historiography, or the writing of history, has been changing often.  In regards to the digital age, Weller argues that historians do not need to be computer experts in order to write, study, and analyse history.  Rather, he thinks they should be aware of the changes made and see how this is affecting our studies.  We encounter this all the time as students while doing research.  Some of these aspects are positive, while others tend to be distracting.  As discussed, historians develop a respect and value for the physical documents we encounter.  Its rarity is important and teaches us something more than the amateur historians reads about online.  While the digitization of these documents may indeed save these texts, Weller brings up a good point about how a document created on a text processor is easier to lose track of than a physical hand written document.  With the physical, we can see the changes made over time.  Regarding the topic of education, this directly relates to course in general.  We have thoroughly discussed these types of trends in class and are discussing the issues surrounding all types related materials.  For example, through our Wikipedia assignment we have seen first-hand the issues associated with quality of information being presented.  There are many instances of manipulation and should be aware of the possible pitfalls historians could fall into with those types of sources.  Weller writes “the traditional skills of the historian will continue to remain as potent as ever”(199).  I agree with this statement because our skill set as historians are unique in their own way, as shown through our ‘mock job interview’ exercise.  As a class, we pointed out how valuable the skills we develop in this field can be.  Just because the use of the internet may seem to make things simpler in many ways, does not mean we will abandon or forget the traditional lessons we have learned.  The projects completed within the class outline this point including Wikipedia, Building Stories, and Tumblr.  

The use of Tumblr as a medium to present, share, and discuss history actually turned out to be fairly manageable and interesting.  Through the website, it was easy to follow other classmates and professors and keep track of what people were posting.  If one took the time to explore Tumblr and browse the numerous blogs to discover what was being presented about history, you could find some really interesting sites.  Not only that, but one could customize what you followed by choosing blogs that suited the historical interests of the individual.  The variety of tools and document types available for posting can made a very interesting experience for the class.  We discovered that some blogs were better than others based on what background information was being shown.  While some posts provided links and possibly sources, others were just straight pictures, which could have easily been faked or altered.  Some of the aspects of using Tumblr for the class, however, for me often got pushed aside due to the many assignments in the class.  There were times I wanted to dig deeper into the use of Tumblr for historical presentation, but often got overwhelmed because of my other classes and assignments.   

[mattprez397]

Submitted Research Question

My submission to Leddy Library's Research Question competition was the following:

"Would the digitization of historical materials lessen the value and experience of historical research?"

[mattprez397]

In response to Hume's quote:

As a student, Hume makes a good point discussing what history students would prefer to interact with.  The idea of analyzing primary sources rather than textbooks would be more interactive and interesting.  It would seem that the use of digital archives to store and access these primary sources would be useful, and in some ways it is.  The idea of having instant access to primary documents is useful would save a lot of time and money.  However, there are also many issues with this process that have been discussed in class.  The first problem is access.  Who would have access to these primary documents?  Would the documents be free, or require a subscription? Placing these kinds of restrictions would limit your audience in general.  Second, the interaction with the actual document would be lost.  One of the things I have to come appreciate as a history student is the ability to appreciate and recognize the importance of a physical, hard copy of a source, or anything for that matter.  I have even learned to appreciate things like CDs or vinyl in a world where music can be downloaded with a few clicks of a mouse.  Having historical documents digitally available lessens that experience with a source, and may make people under-appreciate what is in front of them.  Ultimately, the digital archive could prove to be an extraordinary tool for students, but also a limited experience for some.  

[mattprez397]

Response to this Week's Questions

I believe that the promise of Spatial History is an attempt to make history a more visual presentation for the academic audience.  While this idea may be intriguing, it may also provide an opportunity for those who study history academically to lose track of what we as historians are trying to accomplish.  For many of us, history is about the greater picture and use of logic from historical evidence discovered.  The field heavily relies upon the use of text-based documents in order to draw connections and allow for a deeper understanding of those documents.  While visual presentation of history does have its place in academics, it is sparsely used.  However, areas such as Public History can benefit greatly from visual presentation of historical facts. 

Some of the problems that can occur with Spatial History is the complicated nature.  The presentation of both textual and visual history can be overwhelming to many and, ultimately, be too much work for a historian to undertake.  It could take time to sift through geographical databases when the focus of one’s work could be directed elsewhere.  Also, the study of Spatial History can heavily rely on mathematics and statistics, further adding to the frustration for both the writer and reader. 

In class, we have discussed the access to these kinds of databases.  Many may not have access to these databases to pursue the research they want.  Others may not have the skills to use these databases to their full potential.  However, those who do have these skills may be able to enhance their research.  This also brings up the question of whether this should be a skill that can be taught to students of history.  While the readings do present the disadvantages of the field, there are certain instances in which Geographic Information Systems can prove to be a useful tool for historians.  Therefore, the field should definitely be broken down and discussed among historians.  

[mattprez397]

My review of A History of the Internet and the Digital Future

Today the internet is used as a modern day tool for everyday work, whether it is sending emails, interacting on social media, or promoting a business. In Johnny Ryan’s A History of the Internet and the Digital Future, he thoroughly examines the history and progression of the Internet from 1950’s Cold War America up to today. Ryan argues that the current drive of the Internet heavily relies upon the individual user and how this should be taken into account for the forthcoming adjustments in which politics, and media will take. Phase One of the book delves deep into the greater ideas and...

[historicaltimes]

Terry Fox runs in his blood stained shorts, during his Marathon of Hope run across Canada in July 1980. He ran a marathon a day for 143 days until he died.

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[mattprez397]

Terry Fox is seen as one of the greatest Canadians of all time and millions upon millions of dollars have been raised for cancer research due to his actions.  It's an interesting case of History from Below to see an "ordinary" person became a large part of Canada's history.

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[fashionsfromhistory]

Court Coat

c.1840

United States

Philadelphia Museum of Art

[mattprez397]

An interesting piece of formal wear and, to me, closely resembles a military uniform.  While it would be nice if there was a little more information, it could bring an opportunity for further research.

#UWindsor397