Week 1 Digital History Post: As the Past Struggles to Catch Up with the Present

     Thanks for tuning in.  The past couple posts have been warm-ups, but the time has arrived to get down to the nitty-gritty.  This week's blog addresses the topic of what the practice of history can learn from the digital age.  Honestly, it is not simply a matter of "can", but really more one of "must".  The electronic age has altered both the way that information is disseminated and also the way that it is gathered.  As other academic disciplines have surged forward to take advantage of the new digital medium, the practice of history has found itself pulling up the rear.  In academia in particular, the opportunities that the information age offers are being adopted at an alarmingly slow rate.  While computers and the internet offer all sort of new options for those practicing history, it would seem that these purveyors of the past have having difficulty engaging with the present.

     This lack of participation from traditional practitioners of history does not mean that history cannot be found on the web.  On the contrary, the history web has grown by leaps and bounds.  Both entrepreneurs and enthusiasts have rushed into the vacuum, creating numerous sights aimed at bringing historical knowledge to the electronic masses.  Consequently, it is these sites that people visit when the have queries pertaining to history.  This has led to a startling trend.  These sites, often maintained by amateur historians, are more visible and becoming better known than the work of scholars who are experts in the field.  This is the problem that academic historians must confront.  As the digital age continues to unfold, historians must learn how to make their voices heard in this new forum, or risk becoming sidelined by those who have embraced technological advancement.

     It is for these reasons that training of future historians must include this digital element.  Information is useless if no one is able to access it, and this goes for history as well.  Historians must be given a digital tool box and trained in how to properly use its implements.  There are some who have already set out to do so, but they are few in number.  The future of history depends on more of its practitioners joining in the digital age.