I realized after reading other blogs that Facebook was a rather dull website choice; I should've substituted www.baseballreference.net, which is kind of like IMDb for fans of baseball history or statistics.
I suppose in this post I will note a few external challenges likely to intrude on my website design, as well as ponder a few interests that might be usable for my topic.
Along with my job and INFO 652, I'm also taking one other Drexel course this term--INFO 651: Academic Library Service--and am also finishing up "Intro to Archives and Manuscripts," a course offered through Temple but taught at the American Philosophical Society (at 5th and Chestnut). This latter course is likely to interfere most in terms of time--I have a 15-page paper and an oral report due by the end of the month, and have done little for either yet--while my job introduces some interesting decisions with regard to topic. I would like to do something history-related, and at work I would have access to some fun historical images, but I think that using them for a public website would require jumping through several unnecessary hoops (my supervisor, our communications folks, our legal department, etc.)...so I will likely NOT be creating any sites relating to the history of the insurance industry. Everyone can be thankful.
But what, then? I love quirky cultural history topics like comic strips, movies, and baseball, but the first two of those subjects have messy copyright issues with using any images, and I think most baseball history topics have already been done well enough elsewhere.
I also love history relating to Philadelphia, which I just moved to last March but have long wanted to live in. Not being a long-time resident, I hesitate to consider myself knowledgeable enough for a useful website, but I do a lot of wandering around the city and take quite a few scenic photos so at least I would have plenty of free images. Perhaps some virtual walking tours, or a virtual exhibit of some sort? Those have been done too, but maybe I can come up with unique themes. We'll see.
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I like the idea of a virtual walking tour, and I think it has merit to a fairly broad population, particularly if you ventured outside Center City at all. I also recently moved to Philly, and I had a lot of trepidation as far as areas to move to, areas to avoid. I used Google Street View to get a sense of various neighborhoods (lots of boarded up houses and vacant lots = not for me), but having the perspective of someone who lives in the city would have been very helpful.
ReplyDeleteShaun, I think the virtual walking tour has a lot of potential. People tend to gravitate towards the touristy sites (I can’t tell you how many times I have had to take guests to see the Liberty Bell), but rarely go off the beaten track. As someone living in Philadelphia you can offer a lot of insight into other historic or culturally significant locations or even just scenic places that often get over looked.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the virtual walking tour sounds like a good topic. The interesting thing with photography is that two people could be looking at the same area and pick entirely different view to focus on.
ReplyDeleteI'm writing to give an enthusiastic 'you go, Shaun!' on your walking tours idea. You have a very valuable perspective and a pre-defined user-group if you approach it as someone who just moved here as opposed to yet another crusty veteran. I've been in Philadelphia since 2001, and remember the process of discovering the city and building my cognitive map very fondly.
ReplyDeleteDon't let copyright hoo-ha keep you away from pursuing other ideas, though (now or in the future) - it's a beast, no doubt about that, but I've noticed when I talk to current librarians/ information professionals they almost always ask me what I'm being taught about copyright as a current student. I think it's the dirty little secret dirth of knowledge area for many professionals. Getting to know your way around the issues now could work to your advantage (and gain!) in the future.
I agree with everyone else. A walking tour could be really helpful for those of us who have also just moved here. I've spent a lot of time walking around the city since I got here last summer, but still only know West Philly and Center City (though, I think, pretty well at this point).
ReplyDeleteBeing new the city can be virtue rather than a vice. New perspectives are always welcome.
I agree with Catherine. It would be very useful to create a guide that would help individuals find places in the Philadelphia area that are not necessarily big draws for tourists. Logical subheadings could be "historical sites," "restaurants and shopping," and "museums." Perhaps you could even use a graphic (such as an arrow or a star) to indicate certain places that you think would have a particular appeal to your audience.
ReplyDeleteI would like to offer a concurring and dissenting opinion about the idea of a walking tour. I pride myself on seeking out places "off the beaten path" when I visit new cities, so I would potentially be a member of the user group for a website like this.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I really like the idea of a site about old comics. Is there a possibility that you would want to look at comics so old they've passed into the public domain? Comics from 70+ years ago could be really interesting.
I agree with everyone else about the virtual walking tour. That is something I could see myself using. I'm sure there are plenty of people who would visit sites off the traditional path if only they new where to go. This idea definitely has a lot of potential.
ReplyDeleteI think an especially good aspect of the virtual walking tour would be that people could see some of the really quite beautiful areas of Philadelphia that don't show up as much in postcards etc. There's one section of Addison street, between like... 19th and 17th, I believe, that is gorgeous especially in the evening - nice architecture, small, quiet street, and they wrap the trees with the white Christmas lights (there are no streetlights there) which gives off a really lovely effect. I stumbled across it one night, and now always try to walk down it whenever I can.
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