Digital Humanities 510

I am part of the MMILL Oral Histories group, alongside Kait and Jordan. The primary goal of our group is to convert CD and cassette audio files into MP3 files, edit photos to a specific dimension and DPI, proofread transcripts, create search terms and a short synopsis of the story, and rename all these files into a designated naming system. Our naming system is as follows: Last Name _ First Name _ Year of Creation. We have all selected five oral histories to focus on, bringing the grand total of oral histories to 15. The work is being divided equally, and we have tried ensuring that each person has roughly the same duration of audio files to listen to. Currently, we are all focusing on ensuring all our audio files are processed into the correct file type, and that the audio files are of substantial enough quality that they can be adequately enjoyed by the visitors of the online exhibit. I will admit that while the work itself is what I expected it to be, the time in which it takes one ...

Processing for this project is coming along. At the time being we are doing a lot of audio recording to get stories into MP3 format, we have done well in organizing the resources we have, and we are moving towards going through all of the audio files and writing synopses for each. Individually speaking, we divided the oral stories by storytellers and are each handling our own group of storytellers, from their photos to their audio files. At the moment I am trying to create Google Docs for each storyteller to keep track of what is left to be done with their files and to write the synopsis for the story they tell. Our processing is very systematic so pretty much everything has maintained what we expected, although one thing we did not expect is the amount of time it takes to do each step of the process. For example, listening to an hour-long story to transfer the audio file and then write a synopsis as to what they talked about. We are utilizing DH concepts like file formatting and data ...

My MMILL group is the Oral Histories materials & progress. All of the materials we had to go through were given to us inside one file. This includes the pictures, transcripts, and some audio files. So far we have been  able to organize all of these materials by giving each interviewer their own file with all of their materials in one place. We made sure all of the file names matched (sorted by name and date) so it can easily be understood/found. This will make it easier for the website curators to place all of the information into the website for people to easily find. This goes the same for the search terms we are picking out of the transcripts for them to give the users more specific results. We've been in the process if converting the last few cassette tapes to MP3 audio files which has defiantly been a new experience that we had to learn how to do. Once we figured out how to use the cassette recorder the process wasn't hard...

For the Maine MILL project my team is working on the virtual tour aspect. We started off by just learning how to use thing link and processing the materials. Once we got accustomed with our project, we were able to divide each section up. While each of us are focusing on our own individual section we are always helping each other when we can. I focused on the shoe industry portion. I set up my section so that the information flow together through each segment. The work that was involved in the making of the virtual tour was going through all the photos and textual information and organizing the materials. The project appears to be in its final stages at the moment. I expected the project to contain a lot more material than we were given. We are planning to have a workshop where we check each other's before we submit the project. There are many digital humanities concepts in this project. A couple of them are data collection, virtual spaces, and accessibility online. Our work on thi...

The Maine MILL project is going very well. My team has been working hard on getting the tasks done and correctly. Everyone is very supportive and asks if anyone needs help or tasks taken off peoples work loads. We are ahead of schedule which allows for us to workshop and go over the visual together so we are all on the same page. It is beneficial we have a class to check each others work and perfect it. I have the art portion of the project. I have three art pieces that I put the text and photos in. I am adding a tag on the art table that is an activity to make personalized dolls from anyone that visited the museum.  The project looks good but the 360 images do not have depth. When I say that, I can not click on an object and be taken to it. I was excepting a way to walk around and move around the museum. I learned that instead of moving around in depth, the audience was click a tag and get a clear photo with text added to it. It is satisfying and brings light to important topics. ...

I was part of the Virtual Tour Team and we are practically finished. For my role in the project, I worked on the brick making display. I uploaded photos of brick making with accompanying text and an icon. I also went through the project and made sure we had included everything. Overall, I think the project came together just as expected. The layout was simple and easy to navigate, and there was a unique variety of materials that made the display interesting to view. We did find some of the Thing Link layouts limiting, so there were some unplanned changes made. For example, there was no option to include text on multiple slides of an icon. I had to create a new icon for each text point if I wanted to use a different photo. In general, however, most of the work consisted of archiving the compiled information.  Looking forward, I think the presentation should reflect the virtual tour itself. Our team could present each icon in the museum and discuss the points with our audience as i...

At first, we struggled to figure out who should get what section. After deciding we would split it up by category we created a wheel to assign a person to each of those categories. The work mainly consisted of scrolling through pictures and matching them to each part of the museum, once we did that we also have to find the correct text that attaches to the specific photos. Some of us have audios and videos to put together that add to the museum's aesthetic. The work was a lot different from what I was expecting, we did not have to do much research in terms of the museum and the information it provides, but rather our focus was on the visual appeal. In this process, we have used a type of distance reading to match texts with images, and we are using maps and virtual planning because that is basically our assignment.  I believe the metadata within our 360 virtual maps creates a fun and easy way to explore the museum from home. It contains information, well-photographed images, relati...

Currently, our team is planning to create a VR tour of MMILL. We are dividing it up into four sections, with Bricks, Textiles, Art, and Fabrics being separated. At the moment, we are thinking of using a 360 image and then providing arrows to move throughout the space. We are also including closeups of the different materials, as well as different slides between smaller displays. We are going to use the photos in the folder for each item. A caption and description will be provided for each. We are going to assign the specific sections this week. In regards to the digital humanities, I think this an example of where we are using both distance and close reading analysis. We are taking a large variety of images, looking for themes, and then compiling them into different sections. Then, we are examining them more in depth by determining what to write about each one, and which order would be suit the display. I would categorize the project as Archival, since it is designed to showcase the In...

Our group ultimately chose to work with oral histories. We decided we will split the work up by evenly dividing the amount of oral histories and working with the photos, audio files, and transcripts for our chosen people. Our process of organizing these materials will involve listening (involving a cassette player, CD player, and audio playback on our laptops from MP3 files) to the oral stories, reviewing the transcripts, assessing corresponding photos, and ultimately coming up with an organization system for all of these components. Our overarching goal is to curate a cohesive system that makes these oral histories much more consumable by a modern general public. I see my own individual role in working on organizing my portion of the oral histories in order to contribute to the greater system. I think this work aligns well with our learning about DH because I can see the importance in doing it. Knowing that unless these stories become more organized and consumable they will be lost, e...

 My group is doing Museum L-A for the MMILL Project. I was absent on Thursdays class so I examined my group members to see where we are at. In tomorrows class, we will be dividing up the work. I have looked over thinglink and the images on it. I was very interested in the shoes because they filled a lot of space and looked old. The machinery will be interesting to dive into as well. We have shared documents on GoogleDocs so we can share our ideas as we move forward. I will be incorporating some of the chapters information to help me understand. For our project, the main audience is anyone interested in the museum. During the last zoom call, Rachael said she wanted to have a more inclusive and younger audience. I agree and think we are a great resource for helping that goal. I want all our information to be organized and easily assessable to people that have a lot of technology use or does not. Virtual maps can be hard to use if it is too complex for the viewers and does not move sm...

For the MMILL Project, I am in the Oral Histories group, alongside Kait and Jordan. Due to the dataset being a collection of 15 oral stories to organize, all three of us decided to select 5 oral histories to focus on each to make it even. Our project consists of converting compact disc files and cassette tapes (which are our materials) into MP3 files to be uploaded to the digital database, transcript proofreading, creating a searchable set of terms for each history, and writing a short summary of what each oral history is about. As a group, our primary upcoming goal would be to solidify a naming system for the files, which will likely be organized by the speaker's last name and date that the story was captured. The overall primary goal of our project would be to begin creating a more searchable, digestible database for museum-goers and those who want to learn more about the history of those in Maine to utilize. Due to our project being primarily involved with creating a database, o...

 I am part of the virtual team for the project. In class, my team spent the majority of the time exploring thinglink, there is only one of us that has used it, so we took a look at the different selections it contained. We took a look through the photos and discovered which ones we liked the best and are most likely going to use for the virtual museum. We created a google folder that contains google slides so we can organize the photos as they would be in the different sections of the museum. We also have a google doc to help communicate and outline the jobs we need to get done in order to complete our assignment. We were missing one member on the day we were planning it all out so we have yet to discuss our plan of action in terms of who is on what job. The materials we are using vary from photos to videos, to texts.  This project is a little bit tied to what we have learned about all year, for example, distant reading. We are finding materials on a broader spectrum and putti...

  I am in the Oral histories and materials group for the MMILL project. Last class we decided that everyone would each take five people and for each person do the audio configuration, transcript blurb writing, photo editing and audio file conversion. We also decided the specific people we'd each be in charge of for this project. We need to figure out how to convert the CD's and cassette tapes to audio mp3. Hopefully we will be discussing our next steps for this in the next class period. We also need to discuss what we will be naming the files (we explored the idea of last name and date). The goal right now is to make a more organised system where viewers of the website can easily access these peoples stories and understand what/who they are learning about.  Our knowledge of digital humanities that we've learned so far can help us with this project. Specifically, chapter 5 on database design. One of the main goals of this website is to make it more accessible to the public a...

     I am part of the virtual tour team for the Museum L-A. My team explored thinglink and looked at all the materials that Professor M gathered at the museum. We are waiting for all members of our team to be together to decide how to split the sections. We also wanted to consider how much work was in each section. The first steps that we've taken to start the project was to learn how to use thinglink. Then we created a Google Slideshow to have a location where we can collaborate and organize the materials in order. Next step we need to take is to decide what section each of us is going to do. The materials that we are working with entail audio clips, photos, and videos. The process that goes into the virtual tour is reviewing the images and adding them into the 360 along with some text.        My goals for this project is to make it appear as professional as possible, and allow the viewer to gain further access to the museum. The project that we are l...

  After reading the chapters, maps and visual spacing are more understandable. When I saw a map on online, I did not think there was a lot to it. After reading the chapter, I found out there was a lot to the set up and reasoning for the maps. The chapter touched on what the purpose of each map is.  There are basic maps like Google Maps that have the purpose of directions. If it's a research map, then there should have information for their target audience and data embedded. For visual spacing, it talks how it can be 3D just like the future unit in class. There is a checklist for what the map should have. I thought it was cool that the maps can be programmed to move a certain way for the audience to use and get around with.           I looked at MoMA Museum and looked through the art gallery. There was text at the beginning of the home page to give context. To move around the museum, it goes zooms from place to place the person clicks one. The pain...

In Chapter 8 of The Digital Humanities Coursebook , titled "Mapping and GIS", the concepts of digital maps and geographic information systems were introduced. I found this section of the textbook to be quite dense, and mildly confusing to follow. I was able to understand that maps compile information into multiple layers, and each layer must be correctly aligned for it to work effectively. Johanna Drucker described mapping as, "an integral part of political and social work with statistical information. They address demographics, resource management, infrastructure development, security concerns, and other issues. All of these have a human dimension, of course, but they tend to be far from the study of cultural artifacts and events that are central to the humanities... While mapping platforms vary in complexity, all make use of a base-map, data points, and labels. Many use layers, legends (those keys to symbols that indicate landmarks and other features), and customizabl...

GIS and mapping are so in-depth and complicated that it is hard to comprehend the information it all contains. There are multiple pieces to the puzzle of mapping, for example; knowing the spacial premises, understanding the place itself whether it contains physical features, presenting the history that may have happened in a specific location, understanding the locations class status and values, creating maps through references, and through images and data. Ultimately maps seem so simple because the main job is to get you from point A to B, however as I stated before there are so many other elements that create what it has become. With GIS we are able to work on social issues and make a small change in our environment. I believe virtual tourism does have both good and bad aspects to it. The cool part about it is they can give nearly anyone the opportunity to look through a museum or space, or a "roller coaster" with just the click of a button. The Maine Sound and Story was qu...

  I thought it was interesting to learn about the range of complexity that is mapping and GIS, just like digital humanities. It seems that the more qualities of the digital humanities that we learn, the more it helps to break down what the digital humanities are. That being said it is odd that adding complex features of the subject would make it easier to understand. For mapping, it seems to be complex in the way that there are so many ways to layer the information that is to be given. I like that the chapter on the subject in our textbook broke down the different purposes of using maps to relay information.  The text also discusses a virtual exhibit created to recreate Pompeii. This reminded me of when I visited Pompeii, I got to see some of the 3D models that were created to represent its appearance, and I even remember there being a virtual exhibit that broke down the volcano erupting and the pattern (most likely based on evidence gathered) in which it buried the city....

 Before reading chapter eight and nine of The Digital Humanities Coursebook, by Johanna Drucker I didn't have a lot of knowledge on maps and virtual spaces other than the basics. While reading chapter eight which is on maps, I learned that maps address more than just where something thing is or it's spacial awareness to other places. Maps are created by using multiple layers that need to be aligned and sorted correctly. I learned that maps are made up of many layers and they represent security concerns and resource management (Drucker 130). The only previous experiences I have had with virtual spaces was at a Van Gogh exhibit. At this exhibit I was allowed to virtually walk through his famous paintings using a virtual reality headset. After reading chapter nine I am now more aware of the different uses virtual spaces has. An example that I found helpful in the textbook was the virtual project that is known for recreating Pompeii (Drucker 152). I find virtual spaces to be very ...

First and foremost, I want to say I never knew maps could be so complicated. It seems as though DH can really take some of the most traditionally simple topics and bring them to a level of complexity and provide context and depth one would likely not normally think of, which is both fascinating and so confusing! Additionally, I had no idea what GIS was, and think it's a very interesting system that provides context as to how maps are analyzed, and how data is extracted from them. I'm also very thankful for systems of coding and platforms that make geographical and geospatial data more easy to consume by the masses, especially in now knowing how complicated the process of doing so is. The concept of three-dimensional and virtual models was quite fascinating to learn about as well, and have a new level of respect and admiration for those who are skilled in creating such renderings. Knowing that the creation of these models involves so many layers like source material, platform ch...

 The creation of maps involves a clear purpose. The mapmaker must develop their work with a goal in mind. If their intention is to inform, they should include legends and keys. If they simply want to give an overview, a basic map should be sufficient. The format of maps has evolved from printed material into digital applications. Geocoding is an example of how locations can be tagged and stored online. This format makes navigation far easier. Of course, there are downsides to this. Local hotspots can be overrun by tourists, for example.  Then there's virtual tourism. A new format of digital exploration, virtual tourism can be created through a variety of materials. 3D and VSim models both demonstrate how this can work. Virtual Harlem, for example, creates an environment resembling Harlem, New York. Some other projects, such as Maine Sound and Story, Museum L-A, and Google Arts and Culture all offer glimpses into digital materials. Personally, I liked Google Arts and Cultures E...

 Digital humanities is such a broad term. As I have read the chapters, I realized that every definition is also very broad. That makes it easy to find example for each term, but hard for me to understand it specifically. I am retraining my brain to think more openly about ideas or new words I learn. When it comes to data analysis, there are tools used that can be very helpful to make inferences and comparisons. The quote used in the model was perfectly states that with so much data and information, tools mine for "meaningful patterns associations, and defining feature." To me, the quote explains data mining and analysis to a T. As I have been using Voyage, it is a great tool to dissect a big or small quantity of text. The previous digital humanities project was mostly about images and number analysis. This project is all about text with no images with the main source. Voyage has many options for different tools people are looking for. It allows for the user to play around for...

In terms of my own thoughts about extracting data from literature and/or art, I think that it's a very interesting topic with its respective pros and cons. It certainly has its pros in that it brings a more mathematical and objective approach to the arts, however one of the biggest cons also presents itself in this area. Literature and the arts are inherently subjective and can be quite difficult to quantify in most aspects, especially when data is extracted from a digital format of something such as a sculpture, which instantly creates issues in that a 2D rendition is being used to assess a 3D work of art. This goes for other mediums too, such as errors occurring when scribing verbal stories to text, when relating a previously experienced event, interpreting what's happening in a photo, and so on. To put it short, extracting data from a subjective source is an interesting field of study, however certainly comes with drawbacks and errors simply from how it is conducted. On a mo...

While the thought of extracting quantitative data from works of art has never been something I've actively pondered doing, doing so has opened up an entire new realm of analysis. By utilizing tools, such as the Voyant tools, certain trends and repetitive qualities within genres and authors begin to reveal themselves. Not only do data tools show trends, but it also gives you a multitude of visuals that show the ways the words within the text flow together as the body of work progresses. One of the most interesting patterns I've noticed in my story is that while the story is called "The Cat" (written by Edgar Allan Poe), the term 'cat' is not the most frequently used term, showing up 10 times. The most frequently used word is 'house', which was used 12 times in the text. The trends within the text are able to project an image of what the story may be about, and those who haven't spent the time reading the text would still be able to grasp what the pr...

  Overall I like the concept of being able to understand literature easier with the help of visualisation tools. It would make me feel ten times better to be able to confirm my theories about the thing I am reading if I could find actual data patterns to back it up. Using these data tools to back up things like settings, themes, and structure is a great way to support different claims when doing a reading of literature. It also really depends on what you are analysing, because I think that changes the difficult level for analysing. Personally, I definitely struggled at first using Voyant tools to analyze my Edgar Allan poe work. It was hard to connect the data to an overarching theme to the story. However, I did like using it to compare everyone in the classes poems. It was helpful to see similar/contrasting patterns in pops writing between the stories. For example, all of the stories included a spookier genre based on the most commonly used words through all of the works. In my ow...

If there's one thing I've discovered about Digital Humanities, it's that there is a vast amount of material to analyze. For example, using the Voyant reading tools revealed to me just how much information can be gleaned with data mining. Entering the text for one of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories revealed all sorts of statistics, ranging from the most repeated phrases and where they occurred in the story, to the reading index level. This application demonstrated how useful data mining could be. Personally, I think it would be a great feature for a writer to use. Having the ability to assess whether the language of a novel fits the targeted audience, or being able to determine whether or not sentences are too lengthy, would be helpful. I could definitely see how it would benefit students as well. There is a lot of insight you can gain in detecting important information from a story without having to search in depth for it. I think it would be an advantageous opportunity...

     After this week I have learned a lot more about extracting quantitative data from literature and art. When I first thought about extracting quantitative data from art I was having a hard time thinking about what data you could take out of a piece of art. I was applying this onto my digital humanities project which involved looking more in depth at digitized art pieces. While I was struggling to see what data could be pulled from mine I began to think about other classmates' projects that involved extracting quantitative data from art such as the Vogue project. A lot of data was extracted from these covers of Vogue that involved collecting data on the amount of colors that were most commonly used throughout the years, and what facial features were the most common to see. While learning how to use Voyant Tools this week I was able to see how much quantitative data can be extracted from literature. Voyant Tools allows us to analyze the text. These visualizations show wh...