Links of the week – crowd sourcing history
Looking back on 2012, I feel like it’s going to be remembered as the ‘Year of the Crowd.’ From the huge success of Kickstarter, to numerous high-profile academic projects, crowd-sourcing has had an huge impact of the way the internet is used. This edition of ‘Links of the Week’ will look at five different ways … Read more
Scattered thoughts on storytelling, digital engagement, and standing out on the web
In preparation for my paper at the Japanese Association for Digital Humanities 2012 Conference I’ve been thinking about the role storytelling plays in engaging the public in a digital world. My undergraduate advisor always used to stress that it is important to “kill your darlings.” By this he meant that a key to good writing … Read more
Links of the week – digital storytelling edition
While it seemed so far away when I applied for it, the Japanese Association for Digital Humanities 2012 conference is roughly two weeks away and I still have many more metaphorical miles to go before I can sleep. Flights still have to be booked, sleeping arrangements must be made, and I should probably move some … Read more
The war on critical thought – why historians matter in our society
One of my favourite professors always used to say, “A degree in history doesn’t disqualify you from anything.” While true, this begs the question, what exactly does history qualify you for? I’ve always struggled with justifying, to myself and often to others, my decision to study history. I’m sure nearly everyone in the humanities has … Read more
The Privilege of Neutrality
I am a Norwegian medievalist studying for my MA thesis at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Being a medievalist I have noticed three tendencies that are prevalent among non-medievalists, both within academia and the public sphere. First of all people are interested in the Middle Ages. Secondly, many people know very little about … Read more
The Importance of Storytelling in a Digital World: Or, What the Digital Humanities can learn from TED
I have submitted an abstract to the 2012 Japanese Association for Digital being held this year in Tokyo, Japan. The theme of this year’s symposium is “Inheriting the Humanities.” I have posted my abstract below. Even if I’m not selected, I will post the paper in full when it is finished. The Importance of Storytelling in … Read more
History Happened
History happened. At some point in the past, things transpired. People did things and experienced emotions. We in the present refer to these past people, things, and emotions as history. But what is the past? A few months ago I was trying to teach my third and fourth grade Korean ESL students about the concepts … Read more
History Matters
Since completing my MA in history, I been trying to decide what history (both as a concept and as a discipline) means to me and what role it plays in contemporary society. While I’ve not yet comes to terms with my relationship with history (and I probably never will), a story I read in my local newspaper … Read more
