Facebook Knows You Better Than You Do

Posted on May 9, 2014 by carsonhuling

Purritos and Shaving Cream

So, it had become apparent that Facebook is even more skillful at knowing my life and my interests than my friends, my boyfriend, or even myself. In the wake of controversy following the popular social networking site’s apparent ability to determine that a teen girl was pregnant before anyone else based solely on her google searches, a wide array of attention, both positive and negative, has been brought to the fact that websites actually know what you search and browse through on the internet, and use it to advertise products catered solely to your interests.

In honesty, it’s a little bit creepy, and I’m quickly realizing that my online activities really aren’t that secure. Just the other day, I was browsing Harry’s for a birthday gift for my boyfriend, an avid beard enthusiast who takes the upmost care of his facial hair, and soon enough, all of my social media profiles were flooded with ads promoting beard trimmers, razors, and shaving creme. How can they get this information from me so quickly? If they can see it, who else can? My online presence must certainly be generating a lot of interesting information, as my most frequently viewed content includes cat pictures, TV trivia, and buzzfeed quizzes, but what is that really telling them about me? That if they advertise a picture of a Purrito that I’ll go buy one? (Hint Hint: I will).

Buying habits aside, I find it creepy that the internet knows so much about my love for cats and my needless addiction to purchasing Jellcat stuffed animals. If they want to use my search history to trick me into spending my savings on needless products, then maybe I need to change my security settings (or maybe I need a better job, those Purritos are adorable).

Project Progress

As far as my project goes, I’ve found a lot of interesting items that I’m excited to analyze and share! One, in particular, is proving to be both insanely helpful and immensely overwhelming: Documents Relative to the Origin and History of the Smithsonian Institution.

This resource is hundreds of pages long, and covers all aspects of the Smithsonian and all of its establishments, which provides a lot of great information in a vastly overwhelming package. Just finding the sections that pertain to my topic has been more than slightly difficult, and actually reading and making sense of them is another whole ordeal. That being said, I have been able to draw a lot from in it, and its given me some great information about the initial goals and plans for the zoo, which I can compare to the way the zoo exists in the present day.

Text: To Mine or Not to Mine?

Posted on May 8, 2014 by carsonhuling

After working with various text-mining tools, such as Wordle and Voyant, it has become apparent that such tools are not necessarily useful to a class of this nature. Sure, they provide wonderful representations of the more frequently used words and phrases within texts, and could be used from a historical standpoint to draw conclusions in regards to reoccurring theme seen in speeches across time periods, or something of that manner, but I personally think they’re much more useful in an English classroom. To me, history is less about the words and more about the experiences and actions. Seeing which words are used most often really tells us nothing other than the topic of some text, or that the speaker didn’t have access to a decent thesaurus.

That being said, these tools are super interesting, and I had a lot of fun using them to analyze my own work! From a fiction standpoint, they’re very helpful in drawing conclusions about reoccurring themes or motifs, and can shed a lot of light on the meanings behind a work. It’s in the realms of history and science that I find them to be much less useful.

In regards to my final project, I think I’ve finally got it all together! Sure, there are a few things I’m still a tad bit iffy about, and I’d love to further elaborate on them with a wider array of sources and artifacts, but, given the parameters of the project, I’m confident in my final product! Locating the artifacts really wasn’t the hard part, it was putting them in context with one another and creating a coherent and interesting story using such unique pieces of information from all different time periods and perspectives.

I’m really interested to see how things turn out, and what conclusions I’m ultimately able to draw from my work.

Planning an Exhibit

Posted on April 16, 2014 by carsonhuling

I’ve given a great deal of though to my final Omeka Exhibit in regards to my topic of the Smithsonian National Zoo, and I’ve really gained a grasp of how it needs to be planned out and designed to achieve maximum clarity and potency. My exhibit will explore the topic of the Smithsonian National Zoo in all aspects, from it’s development and construction, to it’s scientific impact , and on to how it has affected the public. I want to explore the facts behind the Zoo, as well as how it has contributed entertainment to the public, and served to educate them. I’m also interested in scientific advances and the Zoo’s role in learning and teaching about different species, as well as how it has been used in politics and science.

As far as my exhibit, I intend to have around five sections. The first would be documents, where I will present legislation and legal standings which allowed for the construction of the Zoo and established how it should be run. The second section is “images” which holds images of animals within the zoo and the physical structure of the zoo, ranging from the time of it’s opening to modern day.

The third section I have created is “Political Affairs”, where I will compile documents and information in regards to both advances in international and local wildlife conservation and affairs, as well as the zoo’s role in diplomacy with other nations, primarily the Pandas and our relations with the People’s Republic of China.

The fourth section I have created is called “Data”, and will include graphs and visual data which will give intel into the zoo’s popularity and importance based on numerical data and statistics. I am still in the process of creating the graphics for such graphs, and will post them when they are ready. In this section, I will also include the map I created to show the location of the Zoo to other important locations in DC.

The last section I create will primarily focus on secondary sources and the controversy surrounding the zoo and its practices. As always, all sides of the argument must be analyzed, and the downfalls and criticisms of the zoo are just as important as all of the wonderful contributions it has made to the public and scientific world.

Together, these sources will all aid in telling a complex and ever changing story about an important establishment in our Nation’s capital. The images, data, documents, and articles I compile will provide a feel of how the zoo has changed since it was first established, and how the public, and our country, have changed along with it. They will provide a visual and statistical understanding of the zoo’s importance within our society, as well as how it has both aided us politically, socially, and scientifically, and the controversy it has created.

Make a Map

Posted on April 4, 2014 by carsonhuling

One vital step in understanding history is understanding maps. Maps, new and old, electronic or hand-drawn, all helps to serve as a visual aid for understanding historical landmarks and events, and how they may interrelate to each other. I create the above map using google’s “maps enginge”, in order to display important locations in the understanding of the Smithsonian National Zoo, and it’s role within the society of Washington, D.C. I, of course, marked the Zoo itself, as well as Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s Headquarters, the Smithsonian Institution Building, and the National Academy of Sciences on the first layer, as they all play an integral role in running, maintaining, and aiding the zoo in it’s public operations and the care of its animals. On the second layer, I marked the National Aquarium, as it falls under the same category as the zoo in terms of it’s role as a scientific landmark and a public exhibit for education and entertainment.

I didn’t have much difficulty while actually making the map, other than locating some of the latitude and longitude points and verifying that I had them correct. The maps engine was simplistic enough to use with ease, but still allowed for customization and personal preferences to be utilized. The map itself is useful in understanding how all of these organizations and buildings work together to make locations like the Zoo and the Aquarium run and benefit our city educationally and socially. Seeing the areas in relation to each other really gives an idea of their importance, due to their central location within the city and their proximity to each other.

Creating a map is an extremely helpful and important part of understanding historical situations, and is definitely something I’ll be utilizing in my future research.

Research Question of Choice

Posted on March 3, 2014 by carsonhuling

My research question of choice is actually a few intersecting questions, which are as follows:

How was the Smithsonian National Zoo planned, developed, designed, and built, and filled with various animal life? How did the Smithsonian National Zoo effected the Washington, DC area upon it’s establishment, and how has it continued to impact the area and people of the country today?

I think researching these questions will allow me to gain a unique perspective on an interesting aspect of the Washington, DC area, and I think it will be a fun topic to gain knowledge about!

Calvin and Hobbes

Posted on March 3, 2014 by carsonhuling

The digitized Calvin and Hobbes cartoon images used in our classes syllabus shouldn’t infringe on any copyrights regulations, so long as the cartoons are used in full and aren’t edited in any way. Anything published between 1977 and March 1, 1989, falls under public domain if it doesn’t hold a copyright notice, which I don’t believe the comic does. The comic was also published publicly in newspapers, thus making it available to the majority of the US to see and use how they wish. The act of digitizing should be completely legal, as the strip is being presented in the same way that it was originally printed, just in a different format, and by displaying the comics in full, as they were originally printed, they should be perfectly acceptable to use.

Also, Calvin and Hobbes comic strips were not a purchasable piece of art, as they were published publicly in news papers, making them available to almost anyone while in syndication. Where as publishing a novel online, where the author makes money through book sales, the comics are not subject to such restrictions.

The National Zoo!

Posted on February 27, 2014 by carsonhuling

After last week’s research on a few broader topics, I really feel that I’m drawn to the National Zoo! I’ve always enjoyed going myself, and I’ve never really thought about all the history and development that went into it until now. I’d like to delve further into the development of the zoo concept, and how the decision was made to open one in our nation’s capital, as well as into the zoo’s initial planning and development. I’ve already learned that it was originally on the National Mall! They also didn’t hire their first, full-time veterinarian until 1950. What were the first animals at the zoo? How were they chosen and transported to Washington DC? What was the initial reaction of the people to the creation of the zoo? To look further into this, i plan to draft an array of questions I’d like to see answered, and do my research to find as much history as I can. I’ll search for news articles from the opening, any reviews that may exist, photographs of the original zoo to compare to more modern images, and the legislation which helped to build it. I think researching this topic will be very fulfilling to myself, personally, and will make for an interesting and insightful look into a different part of Washington DC.

Final Project Topic Ideas

Posted on February 19, 2014 by carsonhuling

Washington DC is full of rich and vibrant history around every corner, so much so that there are millions of topics which can be analyzed and researched to give us a greater understanding of this great city and it’s development. I personally find myself drawn to a few topics in particular, all of which I feel are important to the understanding of the city as a whole and as it developed, and which are important to me personally.

I’ve always found myself interested in the roll of parks and similar parkways within a city environment. These places of tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle of the urban city have always captivated me, and I continually desire to see more of them in some of our most busy areas, where trees are more often cut down than planted. In places like DC, people don’t often look past the grand monuments and historic buildings, completely missing the beauty that can be founds along the river and into the greenery surrounding the area. For this reason, I feel the development of parks and parkways in and around Washington DC might be a great topic to explore. The suburban city developed alongside the natural elements which surround it, and neither would be as substantial or beautiful without the other. Parks offer a sense of solace and interaction between citizens outside of their daily lives, and are essential to the social constructs of DC, as well as other major cities. I would love to explore these places, such as the Sligo Creek Parkway near DC, and analyze the process of conception to development, from how they’re designed and planned to how they’re created and utilized by all different people within the city.

The Smithsonian National Zoo is a major attraction in Washington DC, and one that brings together the social, ecological, and even political nature of our city into one, family-friendly location. The creation of zoos played an essential roll in changing the way early people viewed animals; where they were primarily accustomed to hunting and killing native animals for food and trophy, they were suddenly able to view beautiful and abnormal creatures in their own habitats and learn about them safely. The zoo brought together a desire for cultural and social interaction within the city and the increase in awareness and knowledge about the animal world in a vast multitude of different countries by creating a place where people could socialize while being educated on the importance of different animal species to our planet. the zoo has even been used as a political segue, helping us to form relations with other countries and to show our respect and love for their native animals (for example, China and the Pandas they gifted us, which are now a major attraction). By studying the development and usage of the Smithsonian National Zoo, I can look deeper into the social constructs of the city, as well as into the importance of communal gathering, nature, and education in a suburban environment. I would analyze the zoo’s creative aspects, from design to location planning and habitat construction, and move forward into it’s construction, current uses, and popularity since it’s opening in 1889.

A third topic I would find great interest in researching would be the city planning and architectural design of the city and it’s monuments. It is undoubtedly true that Washington DC offers a multitude of architectural styles and is designed with a fascinating layout, all of which continually captures visitors from around the world, but how did all of these things come to be? Who was entrusted with deciding on a city planner or the different architects for the monuments? How did these designers decide on what was best for the city? All of these questions are essential to understanding how this great city came to be, as well as how it is continually expanding and captivating us everyday.

Primary Sources

Posted on February 10, 2014 by carsonhuling

Primary sources are an immensely important part of digital history, as they allow us to analyze and learn about the past from first hand sources and materials. Everything from photos to newspaper articles and written accounts can aid us in developing a better understanding of past events.

This photograph, taken circa 1876, depicts the construction of the foundation for the Washington Monument in Washington DC. The picture was created by the Federal Works Agency Public Buildings Administration, and is currently included in the Still Picture Records section of the National Archives at College Park. By examining the image, it is evident that the image was taken before the break in construction which occurred from 1854 to 1877, as there are scaffolding and raw materials all around the unfinished monument, as well as men who seem to be working on the top of it. Some greenery and a few buildings are visible in the background, which gives a look into the landscape of DC at the time, which was not nearly as developed and held many more trees than it does now. There is also water visible in the background, though we aren’t told which side of the monument we are shown, so it is difficult to tell if this is the river or an canal that existed at the time. This image gives insight into the layout of DC in the late 1800s, as well as a visual understanding of the construction process of the famed Washington Monument.

This map, published by the Columbia Planograph Company around 1922, depicts a birds eye view of Washington DC. It is not drawn to scale, and north is meant to be in the top right corner. The capital building can be seen in the center of the map, with the national mall stretching before it and many other, unidentified buildings surrounding it. Despite not being to scale, the map does show the size of DC at the time, as well as the number of buildings and the division of street blocks. Along the side of the map, it does identify important buildings and places of interest, making this map useful for gaining a sense of the size of the city and it’s buildings and monuments. It would also be useful in identifying many of the differences between the city’s current look, and the way it looked years ago.

These sources are essential to understanding Washington DC as it used to exist, as well as its development into the city we now know. The photograph of the Washington Monument was more difficult to analyze than the map, because less space is shown and less visual information is provided, but both show important insight in their own way.

Where to Research?

Posted on February 3, 2014 by carsonhuling

When working with digital history, it’s important to know that the sites from which you’re gathering information are fully reliable, as not to taint your work with false information. It’s paramount that all websites are checked for factuality and are presented by a credible source, which requires a good look around the page itself and an inspection of its content.

A Century of Progress: The 1933-34 World’s Fair is a website dedicated to the Chicago World’s Fair from 1933-34. The site, created and run by the University of Chicago Library, was put together in 2004 and presents artifacts from and about the fair in a simple, archive style. Its simple layout allows visitors to easily search items by author, subject, title, or keyword, and provides hundreds of results ranging from pictures, newspaper articles, pamphlets, and documents, allowing for a new look at the happenings of the fair itself. This website primarily serves as a museum of sorts, allowing anyone to learn about the fair and view items and information from and about it in one accessible location. On the right hand side, it provides a statement about the website’s purpose, as well as a link to other sources of information. It’s backed by a viable source, has valuable information, and links to many other sites which could be of use to someone researching this topic, making it a credible and useful source.

The Great Seattle Fire, presented by the University of Washington Library, is an incredible collection of photographs from the historic fire that destroyed 25 Seattle city blocks in 1889. Upon being directed to the page, a small article describes the events of the fire, including what caused it and the results which followed. Links off to the right bring viewers to the actual photo collection, which allows you to look through pages of photographs detailing the area before, during, and after the blaze. Each photograph has a small description which gives all available information about what is pictured and who actually photographed the scene. In addition, the site provides links to other collections within the University of Washington Library which are in relation to the fire and the photographs. There is a bit of difficulty presented when searching for specific photos, as the only way to search seems to require you to search through the entire database of collections, rather than the single one you’re viewing, but with a few added keywords it certainly finds what you’re looking for. The site provides a plethora of visual information which is visibly credible and would be useful to anyone researching the fire itself, or the history of the area.

The Digital Past

Carson Huling