I’m for the Web 2.0 socially-constructed-knowledge explosion. At first I was wary of wikipedia - Breezing in there seemed too easy, it wasn’t like ploughing through the pages of Compton’s Encyclopedia. Could I trust the information? Was it accurate? Now, after a few years, I have relaxed a little, and I must admit that I often use Wikipedia as a “jumping off point” for my research. I have become more comfortable taking a collaborative approach to learning in general and trust others and at the same time myself a little more. I can deal with different opinions and a little ambiguity now and again. That uncertainty may push me to think harder, research more sources, form my own theory that I’ll go back and post to the site, and in that way I’ve benefited and have constructed a little knowledge in the process.
Last week, as I was looking for images showing Bennnington, VT street sculpture, I first ran across flickr www.flickr.com . Here people can upload their photographs and add comments. Last night I read that the Library of Congress has uploaded several thousand photos from their collections from 1910 and also from the Depression era and are inviting people to tag and comment on them. I looked at some of the responses and was amazed at the range and depth of comments. Some folks provided historical documentation, others asked questions about details in the photos that I hadn’t even seen until they mentioned them. I love how this project is bringing historical resources into an accessible popular forum.
http://flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/collections/72157601355524315/
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1 comment:
This is a really cool site, thanks for sharing
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