Perspectives Online

As mentioned in a previous blog Wikipedia has a reputation of inaccuracies and indiscrepancies that seem to prevail in its domain as it is an open net site. As expressed on "Strange Facts in the History Classroom: Or How I learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Wiki(pedia)" adjunct professor Christopher Miller finds himself a victim on one of these inaccuracies. Historians argue that Wikipedia should not be considered an encyclopedia but instead it should be simply considered an online resource. Miller has learned to embrace Wikipedia and use it as a teaching tool to guide students on how to learn to see the strengths and weaknesses of any resource as most historians have learned to do with the emerging and ever changing digital age. We are more then ever, more and more dependent on the internet and its access to quick and easy information without always confirming its validity. Miller decided to have his class examine through a medium such as Wikipedia how history was created.
He created a project that consisted of 3 parts:1. Pick a selected history topic and examine and compare articles about it to Wikipedia articles; 2. Write a paper on findings which will then be posted on website; 3. Final paper that would help students examine how the process interacts with information to produce knowledge.
Unfortunately for Mr. Miller, once his idea was presented to the class it fell short due to the lack of awareness of Wikipedias pitfalls by students. The experiment had to be modified and he decided to make the class introduction more elaborate and exposing the students to the Wiki-controversy and help them understand and question how to know when sources were providing the truth.
Another question he was trying to probe with the students is "Who actually makes history?" We all know that with open-net/access medias anyone can upload, edit, and revise history, so can anyone make history? The simple answer is by evaluating and documenting findings. After successfully introducing his teaching plan Mr Miller hopes all Historians learn to apply critical thinking, comparative evaluation, and thorough source analysis.

Below is a primary source example of real life vs. Wiki bio

A false Wikipedia 'biography'

By John Seigenthaler

"John Seigenthaler Sr. was the assistant to Attorney General Robert Kennedy in the early 1960's. For a brief time, he was thought to have been directly involved in the Kennedy assassinations of both John, and his brother, Bobby. Nothing was ever proven."

— Wikipedia

This is a highly personal story about Internet character assassination. It could be your story.

I have no idea whose sick mind conceived the false, malicious "biography" that appeared under my name for 132 days on Wikipedia, the popular, online, free encyclopedia whose authors are unknown and virtually untraceable. There was more:

"John Seigenthaler moved to the Soviet Union in 1971, and returned to the United States in 1984," Wikipedia said. "He started one of the country's largest public relations firms shortly thereafter."

At age 78, I thought I was beyond surprise or hurt at anything negative said about me. I was wrong. One sentence in the biography was true. I was Robert Kennedy's administrative assistant in the early 1960s. I also was his pallbearer. It was mind-boggling when my son, John Seigenthaler, journalist with NBC News, phoned later to say he found the same scurrilous text on Reference.com and Answers.com.

I had heard for weeks from teachers, journalists and historians about "the wonderful world of Wikipedia," where millions of people worldwide visit daily for quick reference "facts," composed and posted by people with no special expertise or knowledge — and sometimes by people with malice.

At my request, executives of the three websites now have removed the false content about me. But they don't know, and can't find out, who wrote the toxic sentences.

Anonymous author

I phoned Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia's founder and asked, "Do you ... have any way to know who wrote that?"

"No, we don't," he said. Representatives of the other two websites said their computers are programmed to copy data verbatim from Wikipedia, never checking whether it is false or factual.

Naturally, I want to unmask my "biographer." And, I am interested in letting many people know that Wikipedia is a flawed and irresponsible research tool.

But searching cyberspace for the identity of people who post spurious information can be frustrating. I found on Wikipedia the registered IP (Internet Protocol) number of my "biographer"- 65-81-97-208. I traced it to a customer of BellSouth Internet. That company advertises a phone number to report "Abuse Issues." An electronic voice said all complaints must be e-mailed. My two e-mails were answered by identical form letters, advising me that the company would conduct an investigation but might not tell me the results. It was signed "Abuse Team."

Wales, Wikipedia's founder, told me that BellSouth would not be helpful. "We have trouble with people posting abusive things over and over and over," he said. "We block their IP numbers, and they sneak in another way. So we contact the service providers, and they are not very responsive."

After three weeks, hearing nothing further about the Abuse Team investigation, I phoned BellSouth's Atlanta corporate headquarters, which led to conversations between my lawyer and BellSouth's counsel. My only remote chance of getting the name, I learned, was to file a "John or Jane Doe" lawsuit against my "biographer." Major communications Internet companies are bound by federal privacy laws that protect the identity of their customers, even those who defame online. Only if a lawsuit resulted in a court subpoena would BellSouth give up the name.

Little legal recourse

Federal law also protects online corporations — BellSouth, AOL, MCI Wikipedia, etc. — from libel lawsuits. Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, passed in 1996, specifically states that "no provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker." That legalese means that, unlike print and broadcast companies, online service providers cannot be sued for disseminating defamatory attacks on citizens posted by others.

Recent low-profile court decisions document that Congress effectively has barred defamation in cyberspace. Wikipedia's website acknowledges that it is not responsible for inaccurate information, but Wales, in a recent C-Span interview with Brian Lamb, insisted that his website is accountable and that his community of thousands of volunteer editors (he said he has only one paid employee) corrects mistakes within minutes.

My experience refutes that. My "biography" was posted May 26. On May 29, one of Wales' volunteers "edited" it only by correcting the misspelling of the word "early." For four months, Wikipedia depicted me as a suspected assassin before Wales erased it from his website's history Oct. 5. The falsehoods remained on Answers.com and Reference.com for three more weeks.

In the C-Span interview, Wales said Wikipedia has "millions" of daily global visitors and is one of the world's busiest websites. His volunteer community runs the Wikipedia operation, he said. He funds his website through a non-profit foundation and estimated a 2006 budget of "about a million dollars."

And so we live in a universe of new media with phenomenal opportunities for worldwide communications and research — but populated by volunteer vandals with poison-pen intellects. Congress has enabled them and protects them.

When I was a child, my mother lectured me on the evils of "gossip." She held a feather pillow and said, "If I tear this open, the feathers will fly to the four winds, and I could never get them back in the pillow. That's how it is when you spread mean things about people."

For me, that pillow is a metaphor for Wikipedia.

John Seigenthaler, a retired journalist, founded The Freedom Forum First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University. He also is a former editorial page editor at USA TODAY.

Internet Ancient History Sourcebook

Internet Ancient History Sourcebook. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/pgc.asp?page=ancient/asbook.html. Created and maintained by Fordham University Professor Paul Halsall. Reviewed 6/18-6/21.

The Internet History Sourcebooks Project [IHSP] is a world wide web project designed to provide easy access to primary sources and other teaching materials in a non-commercial environment. It was developed and is edited by Paul Halsall with the help of contributors. While browsing the commercial-free page, I found it odd and refreshing that the homepage contained further tips on how to easily navigate the page to get the most out of it. As you continue to scroll down it has the study sections highlighted in blue on the left with outline course information for that section on the right for easier browsing. Once you select a section the contents, sources, and availability to add text are displayed. It allows students to browse top sites on various topics and historical subjects, such as Greek and Egypt. The format that was used is very bland and simple consisting of just text and javascript. It lacks the clutter of high tech digital media and is straightforward and to the point. Navigation seems simple but it is rather difficult to find exactly what you are looking for, being that the site lacks a search bar. For example if you click on Egyptian history, a time line of highlighted important people and events are displayed and further broken down underneath them and hyper linked to other resourceful pages. Once you click on a hyper link it redirects you to a page with primary sources on that particular subject. Each primary source is accompanied by a list of sources on the primary source and subject, editor information and dates on the right margin, information that would probably be deemed necessary on a scholarly paper under the works sites or bibliography page. The search and help page lead you to a similar page with a list of the most commonly asked questions, which may be helpful to some but not most. This page is probably ideal for a history major student that is familiar with the particular history they are searching and knows what he or she is looking for.
The trickiest part of the page is probably the copyright as Fordham provides the space and server to the site but clearly claims that the project is independent of the university and therefore not liable of copyright infringement or accountable for legal action against the project. Any educational use of the materials and pages found within the project website are deemed permissible unless it warrants commercial profit which is then prohibited.
Below is actual copyright note:

---

© Paul Halsall, 1999.

This text is copyright. The specific electronic form, and any notes and questions are
copyright. Permission is granted to copy the text, and to print out copies for personal
and educational use. No permission is granted for commercial use.

If any copyright has been infringed, this was unintentional. The possibility of a site
such as this, as with other collections of electronic texts, depends on the large
availability of public domain material from texts translated before 1923. [In the US, all
texts issued before 1923 are now in the public domain. Texts published before 1964 may be
in the public domain if copyright was not renewed after 28 years. This site seeks to abide
by US copyright law: the copyright status of texts here outside the US may be different.]
Efforts have been made to ascertain the copyright status of all texts here, although,
occasionally, this has not been possible where older or non-US publishers seem to have
ceased existence. Some of the recently translated texts here are copyright to the
translators indicated in each document. These translators have in every case given
permission for non-commercial reproduction. No representation is made about the copyright
status of offsite links: note that for the Ancient History Sourcebook,
unlike the Medieval Sourcebook and Modern History Sourcebook, many texts
are offsite. This site is intended for educational use. Notification of copyright
infringement will result in the immediate removal of a text until its status is resolved.

Paul Halsall, April 1998-October 2000




It is hard to perceive but quite understandable the need to ask permission for each and every source used as the above stated site covers a very large time period and contains hundreds of sources.


WOMEN&WAR Web design

I am still in the process of writing up text and getting a hold of primary sources for basis of argument. In the very beginning of the class I was contemplating on relying fully on Weebly for a Template but after playing a bit with HTML codes I might use an incorporation of both as I want to maintain high expectations for the page and the design. However, I have thus far included a discussion forum, which is already up and running from Nabble and has already had 21 views! (although yet to have feedback)and added a contact page. So far the site consists of 8 pages: 1.Home, 2.History,3.Present-day, 4.Scientific basis on argument (primary sources on scientific and psychological evaluation and veteran testimonies and opinions)5. Interview, 6. Forum, 7. External Links and Citations (hopefully youtube videos and subject themed sites), and 8. Contact. I am pretty excited and know this will not be my last page design.

Net Drive Homepage Complete!

We are in the 2nd decade of the extraordinary historical medium known as the web. Although is has its many advantages it also has many disadvantages. The web helps connect a massive amount of people from different locations. It allows ease of communication and accessibility of information. Information can be freely published, updated, and revised. The negatives or disadvantages of this medium is its stability. Although not always particularly stable, historians have used this as a medium of conveying and interpreting information. Thus, transforming research presented by this medium into its own genre; digital history.
“What is digital history?” you may ask. According to W.G. Thomas III, whom I believe has the most straightforward definition, ”Digital history is an approach to examining and representing the past that works with the new communication technologies of the computer, The internet network, and software systems...To do digital history then, is to create a framework, ..through the technology for people to experience, read and follow and argument about a historical problem.
Digital history can be divided by stages, currently consisting of 3 stages:
I. communication and course management tools (email, web CT)
II. Involved creation of hands on inquiry and allowed students to “do” history
III. Emphasizes on active learning, collaboration, and enhanced interactions (wikis, blogs, social sites)
IV. (yet to come) 3-dimensional virtual reality environments which allow students to navigate historical settings.


Many Historians believe that of all the disciplines, the web seems tailor made for history. Among these historians is E. L. Ayers, author of “The Pasts and Futures of Digital History.” He believes that due to the nature of the change within the technologies consistent of the discipline that computers are more and more appealing to historians and that “understanding the medium and seizing for ourselves the opportunities the medium offers,” we can touch and help others see ‘the past present, and future in new ways. ‘
Seizing the opportunity and the knowledge of this new medium seems foreign and challenging but this course allows for us to take what I believe is the giant step towards achieving it and providing us with the steps and background to successfully do so. By creating a historical webpage we are not only empowering ourselves with the knowledge of the incorporation of technology and history, but we are also conveying a powerful angle of a message of history through our very own point of view.
I have thus far established an account on a web building site. Although completely new to the idea of contributing to the world of digital history I have learned how to add pages and name them and the basics such as inserting pictures and text. I decided to name my page Women&War and want it to consist of two sides of the argument on women in combat and also consist of an interview of a female veteran. So far I have received approval from the female veteran to use some of her actual photographs and had agreed to be interviewed on her experiences. I have emailed several male veterans on their opinion on the actual subject (most are against the idea of women in combat). Right now I just need to re-name the pages so the words fit on the tabs, change the page layout, and learn how to incorporated video and java. I can hardly wait. ;)

Do you wiki?

Wikipidia. http://www.wikipedia.org. Created and maintained by the Wikimedia Foundation. Reviewed 06/07/09

Whenever confronted with a topic that I have no knowledge or recollection of I quickly access the internet with my phone and access the "favorites" shortcut to wikipedia. The high likelihood of locating and getting a quick summary on the topic makes it a very resourceful tool. Although wikipedia acts as an archive with its volumes of information it is usually not considered a library of primary sources. As soon as you access the site you are welcomed by a globe made of puzzle pieces unique and recognizable by most web surfers. Surrounding the globe are the favicons represented as flags of different countries for language translation. Evidence that the site is internationally used and its audience far and wide. Once you select the desired language its homepage has four tabs; Home, discussion, view source, history. Directly under the tabs to the far right are subjects such as art, science, and history making the site generally user friendly for web users of all levels. Everything you can possible imagine from a desirable and useful site have been implemented onto the wikipedia home page. A search bar, navigation, interaction, and a tool box to name a few are all at your disposal for your search style of preference. My search options of choice depending on why Im accessing the site are the search bar, On This day, and In the news.
The wikipedia content although highly resourceful is not always one hundred percent accurate. It is constantly edited for errors and information citation for credibility. The layout is simple and plain as it consists of no flash or sound. As far as the site information and collaboration of articles and essays, they are updated here and there by members who have done primary research and have their own interpretation of a subject. Thus, classifying Wikipedia as a series of electronic essays. The Wikipedia suggested audience is very broad but targets the more mature 12yr+ audience. It consists of Html pages with CSS coding. Although their is absolutely no advertisements at the bottom of the Wikipedia home page their is a list of more Wikimedia sister sites for the more interested viewers. I have never noticed this before this review.

Wikiversity's sister projects

Wikiversity is hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization that also hosts a range of other multilingual and free-content projects:
Wikipedia
Free-content encyclopedia
Wiktionary
Dictionary and thesaurus
Wikiquote
Collection of quotations
Wikinews
Free-content news
Wikispecies
Directory of species
Wikibooks
Free textbooks and manuals
Wikisource
Free-content library
Commons
Shared media repository
Meta-Wiki
Wikimedia project coordination

The only sister site not mentioned in this list is the Wikianswers page which is a non monitored series of question and answers posted by its members. In conclusion, Wikipedia is a very resourceful and highly recommended website. Its main purpose is not for an in-depth research project but more for a general background and history of topics.


THE WEB (course notes)
In the early 1990's the first web pages were developed. Used by scientists to share and send information. By 1993 it was introduced mainstream and over the years has become the powerhouse of digitally transferred information. There are 4 main genres of historical sites: archive (Archive.org), Exhibit&scholarship (Jstor), Teaching&learning (History Matters:The US Survey course), and Discussion&organizational (H-Net).
Web related Acronyms I did not know the meaning of until now:
url=uniform resource locater
html=hypertext markup language
http=hypertext transfer protocol
dns=domain name system
sgml=standardized generalized markup language


What is a Website?
A website is a collection of related webpages that are addressed with a common domain name or IP address.

What is a Server?
A server helps a site visitor access a website from virtually anywhere else. Options for servers are unlimited and generally provide anywhere from 5-100 megabytes.

How to make texts and primary sources digital:
1.scan, or photograph
2.adjust resolution
3.adjust size (GIF,JPEG, or TIFF-large file compression)
4.upload

Web Map-Pending Approval & Skills to be learned!

Web Project Ideas & Sources

Feminine Military face :
Betty Bachman

Website with female veteran testimonies:
Experiencing war:Women at War
http://www.loc.gov/vets/stories/ex-war-womenatwar.html
Womens Military roles
http://womenshistory.about.com/od/militarywar/Military_and_War_Womens_Roles.htm

Review and Project Proposal

The National Archives. Http://archives.gov. Created and maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration. Reviewed 5/29/09

Although there are many genres of historical sites I believe the archive to be the most important and influential. It strictly contains listings of various primary sources. The best of any archive site is seen through its manipulation and placement of sources, accessibility, and ease of navigation. The web site I have decided to review and analyze is http://www.archives.gov which is a great resource tool for any history enthusiast.
The National Archives Records Administrations holds some of the nations most important documents such as The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, and The Emancipation Proclamation among others. This vast library of information contains invaluable materials dated back to the nations earlier years. Currently celebrating its 75 year anniversary, the amount of records this site holds, along with information it bears is almost unmeasurable. All documents are scanned in, in their original form, so the quality of the document is dependent on the author and his/her penmanship. For example the note Elvis wrote to President Nixon is barely legible, but President Nixon's response letter which is typed is very easy to read.
Although the usefulness of this archive/educational resource historical gem is without bounds, the homepage itself is highly cluttered with its newest additions and list of its most popular demands. When I first searched for an archive page and came upon this mother of archives I didnt know where to start. The Home pages' layout is cluttered with alot of small sections that would typically peak researchers interest and prove to be the main reason they would choose archives.gov as their starting point for a project. The top margin in red contains the subject index, contact information, and the Spanish version of the site. This is basically all you need if you know the basic document information for which you are searching. Another useful tool is the search bar which helps when you only know the key words and organizes a list by relevance of all the documents that contain that specific keyword making the navigation of this site extremely easy. Once you know what you want to search for the clutter is gone and among the list before you lies the document you are searching for.
The "news and events section" highlights current archives and documents in the news. This is most useful for the history enthusiast or news buff, while the "most requested" section highlights the sites top searches, most likely for historical research and projects. Their is an educational resource section complete with a digital classroom and discussion guides for educators. (archives.gov/education/index.html) It is difficult to determine or find a bias outside of the information found on the documents as the site does not provide their interpretation. What the site does is list events and facts that are tied in with them.
Overall, this site is one of my favorite archive sites which is geared towards anyone willing to learn about history in its most convenient digital form. Although it is hard to avoid the clutter of the massive library when one is delving into history on this site, the search bar is the most convenient tool in avoiding it.

Project Proposal:
In hopes of attributing to the digital masses I hope to create a site based on the history of women involved in military combat past and present. Along with a paper written last semester on the subject I planned on interviewing my sister who has just finalized her second tour in iraq and finding primary articles or pieces from journals on the subject (archives.gov contained some). It has long been debated the eligibility and capability of women allowed in actual ground combat. Their is scientific documentation that backs the argument of the physical inferiority of women and a mans cognitive response to her presence in danger.
I registered to weebly.com which is a web builder and publisher that is supposed to make it simple enough for amateur. I hope to find a way of constructing a page with a timeline of the revolution to the present war, with corresponding favicons that directs readers to essays completed with links to primary sources. I want to present to argument along with pros and cons and finalize it with the last page containing a discussion forum on the topic with some of my contact information and bibliography. Wish me much luck! :)