A New Day: It’s nice when a range of newly-developed digital skills come together to enable us to do something new. Back in December, I tried to go with my own WordPress hosting on GoDaddy. I thought I could hammer my way through it, but fell well short and quit, discouraged after a couple of days trying to work with databases and file uploads, etc.
Enabled by New Skills: The skills many of us are just learning with the CSS and type projects have come together enough to allow wider adventures in the web 2.0 world. The two critical skills needed which we’ve picked up in Clio 2 are 1) re-writing simple code (to get wordpress aimed at a mySql database) and 2) comfort and familiarity with FTP’ing files
Why? Firstly, I’ve been interested in a non-hosted blog because of all the widgets that you can’t get with a hosted site. Secondly—and here’s where we’re all going to be interested—our final project needs to display “interactivity and community building.” This suggests a hybrid web-site/blog to engage 2-way communication.
A website/blog is a long-lead item…the layout will have to be consistent across both sides, so we’re going to have to be able to do CSS for the blog to match styles with the website
What’s the neighborhood buzz?
Squeamishness with digital photo-manipulation is the big talk around the block. Ken started it out with the top blog on the left side of the page. I commented that we can spend hours looking at a picture, trying to understand it, but can’t trust it’s authenticity once it crosses the digital divide if we have a license to change at will. Steven brought up an excellent point that the photos may be staged, etc…I commented that we need to eliminate as many agendas as possible, starting with the historian’s.
When I was in charge of a set of briefings that presented a major USAF command’s face to many audiences, I was made aware of DoD’s policy that beyond adjusting lightness/contrast etc, manipulation of DoD imagery was strictly forbidden. This makes sense in so many ways…I think we should think the same as historians. There’s a short gap between good manipulation and bad:
Blogs and color (or lack of it).
I commented that I’m thinking about “bailing out on color” on James’ blog—I like the neutral POV with a mostly white blog/website. Although I mentioned Tad’s Blog needs some color…maybe a header will help? Chapati Mystery has a good mixture of minmal color in the header and mostly white content area.
Random Thoughts
I’m with Lee Ann–Horay for podcasting…I hope it stays.
For Misha, I’m glad that Dr H’s personal betrayal was exposed and that he is paying for lack of conscience.
