Week Three Digital History Post: Dealing with Art, Science, and XML

 HE PRACTICE OF online history can be quite intimidating.  Much as the great painters of the Renaissance, historians who venture into out into the web must be versed in a number of different disciplines.  At the very least they must (as my teacher has repeatedly intoned) know enough to speak with the people who know about these different facets of web-work.  This week's reading began by covering two seemingly different topics, namely how to build a website (making it attractive, functional, etc) and how to build an audience.  Really, the former can be seen as part of the latter.  In both cases you are taking the necessary steps to ensure that people will not only visit your website, but also continue coming back.  To this end, there are numerous concerns which must be taken into account.  As an artist, you must know how to create a website which is visually appealing and doesn't simply drive away visitors within the first 30 seconds.  Though many may argue that historians must hold firm and not acquiesce to concerns of form over substance, there is the very real concern that, as with a cactus in the desert, the prickly exterior will drive off those in need of the life-giving water contained within.

      Another theme covered this week is how to direct people to the information that they need.  Whether you are attempting to funnel traffic to you website so that people can make use of the information that you offer, or you are trying to create ways for them to effectively search your material, making sure that the information your history site offers ends up in the right hands is key.  In both of these cases, one must turn from practicing the art of the web to practicing the science of it.  In particular, allowing people to effectively search through the information that you have if, say, you have a database, can be particularly intimidating.  In my case, I would have to find someone who is well versed in the science behind computers to effectively tackle such a task.  Perhaps in your case, if you are a little more adventurous, you can experiment on your own.  The internet is just like history.  There is always more to learn.