Wikileaks and the Archives and Records Profession a Roundtable Discussion
( via @CassPF on Twitter)
Do WikiLeaks and its complex, attendant issues shift our conceptualization of our roles as information professionals? How might WikiLeaks change the public’s views on usage of and access to archives and records? To what extent is the most recent release of diplomatic cables a product of information mismanagement?
Mashups 101
(via @abigailbelfrage on Twitter)
Mashups are an exciting genre of interactive Web applications that draw upon content retrieved from external data sources to create entirely new and innovative services. They are a hallmark of the second generation of Web applications informally known as Web 2.0. This introductory article explores what it means to be a mashup, the different classes of popular mashups constructed today, and the enabling technologies that mashup developers leverage to create their applications.
Australia’s Victoria Cross Recipients
The Morning Show has started a new series in the history classroom looking back at the men who were awarded the Victoria Cross.
“It’s awarded to people who in the presence of the enemy display the most conspicuous gallantry, a daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self sacrifice or extreme devotion to duty.”
In the nation’s history there were six recipients in the Boer War, 64 in WWI, 20 in WW2, four in Vietnam and one so far in Afghanistan.
Do your bit for Australian Climate History
The Climate History research project is seeking to reconstruct Australia’s climate history from European settlement to 1900. The National Library of Australia is seeking your help for this important research project to piece together our nation’s climate history.
Via @nlagovau ..the British Museum’s first volunteer Wikipedian in residence speaks
Hear Liam Wyatt talk about his experience as the British Museum’s first ‘volunteer Wikipedian – in residence.
The National Archives (United Kingdom) Launches Africa through a lens
Africa through a lens is a set of thousands of images taken from a broader photographic collection of Foreign and Commonwealth Office images, held at The National Archives. Starting with some incredible early photographs from the 1860s, the images span over 100 years of African history. These images are now available, for the first time, to view online………..
….We want your help to add to our knowledge by identifying the people, places and events captured on film. You can browse the collection, add comments, and attach your own pictures to show how places have changed over time.
Gaming, crowdsourcing and transcription – an exciting partnership between the National Library of Finland and Microtask
Behind the games is a simple recognition mechanism: the player is shown the original image of a word that the OCR software has had a problem with. The volunteer then has a few seconds to either type the word in or check its accuracy. Starting with system-wide score leaderboards (making Facebook challenges available soonish), Digitalkoot’s goal is to get players and their networks hooked to the cause of culture digitalization.