Archiving Online

The material for today's readings was essentially based around online archiving and some of the issues that come with it, but also some potential success that exists because of it.  As many of us know, the internet isn't one thing or another, it is whatever each individual user decides it should be.  There is no basis, no rules, no limits... it is limitless.  This makes it overwhelming in a way, but where some are overwhelmed, others are exploring the possibilities.  By this time in the semester, and with the amount of material we've read, it is no secret that the internet holds possibilities and opportunities for historians. The question is, why are historians over thinking the internet?  Many set out analyzing and studying ways to utilize the internet, but in the end really nothing comes of it.  Archiving is simple, acquiring the necessary equipment is the hard part.  Once the equipment is purchased and set up the archiving should happen with no problem.  Yet there are individuals that explore the ways to set up searches and think of ways to store and separate it.  They dread over the possibilities of not being able to acquire the information when it is needed.  One should realize what the end goal of this archiving process is, is it for personal use or public?

Once you've quit freaking out about archiving, you can start to present and communicate the information that you have found.  The way that you will communicate this information will be based on the desired impact you want to make.  When it comes to presenting hard information, I think the best way is through data... however, if an emotional impact is what you are going for, the use of media is second to none.  There have been many projects that have collected media from tragedies such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.  It would be hard to mimic the effect that media has in these types of situations if you were to present it through data.  So the points I'm trying to make are this, instead of putting too much time into figuring out archiving, put that time into figuring out how to best present the material that you have researched so hard to find.  In the military we have an acronym for executing any type of mission: KISS, keep it simple stupid.  Some projects have gotten so complicated that they have failed.  Its important to learn new things, but working within your intelligence and comfortability is also essential to a successful project.

**PROJECT UPDATE**
My partner and I are in the midst of acquiring information for our project, and hope to be working with the people at Sol Legare in setting up a virtual exhibit on some of their more valuable pieces in the Seashore Farmer's Lodge Museum.