project reflection

My project consisted on creating a website, which I named Plays&Players with three types of collections:

  1. Plays (from Greek theatre to now)
  2. Songs (different genre mp3 audios and they corresponding lyrics)
  3. Dancing styles (ballet, traditional Japanese dancing, hip hop, rock, and so on).

The aim, was to use SameDiff and WordCounter to search the similarities and differences between the items of the different collections. For example:

Jane has a song she would love to sing in a concert or musical play, but she does not know if there is a play or script that would fit the lyrics of the song. Therefore, she goes to the script collection and browses through the different genres. Once she finds the style she likes, selects the script and compares it with her song lyrics in SameDiff; where she finds out instantly if the script and the song are compatible.

Furthermore, the website is intended to provide Actors and directors (amateurs and experienced) with:

  1. a quick browsing trough acting styles
  2. a fast way to find a play to perform
  3. an inspirational site to start creating your own plays.
  4. a site to relate to other people that share your interests and, maybe, want to pair with you to create a project together.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

One of the main things that I learned through this project was to be realistic towards what I can achieve with my skills and the time I have to develop a project. Although is a prototype of what it should rely be, I was expecting to be able to incorporate much more content and tools.

I thought that time was something I should look after when choosing a restoration or conservation treatment for an object. But now, I realize that this terms also apply when you decide to create a digital collection.

While building the website, lots of building actions where repetitive. Due to it, I was able to comprehend, and use embedded codes and tools (that where in the website and the ones provided in class), that  I could not understand entirely before. Moreover, I was able to understand my own work better.

Accomplishments: 

  • the design of the website worked better than expected. I was afraid to create a project out of omeka (which is the only site where I built a collection). But,  taking that chance made it fun and I gave me the possibility to develop the appealing visual design that I was looking for.
  • I was able to embed webs and codes, music and videos; despite the time it took me to have this done.
  • The way in which I structured the collections was exactly as it was in my mind.
  • I wanted to have a ‘visit counter’ only for the manager to see, which I succeeded on using an application that I found within the website’s tools.
  • Adding Testimonies and News to the site was an idea that came while I was already building the project. As I was not going to be able to develop a blog or chat room for people to interact with one another, I decided this where good additions, which where:  (1) easier to create or add, (2) a way to keep people connected to other people and let them know what is going on in their field of interests.

complications

  • I wanted to use SameDiff and Wordcounter as tools that one could use in the website; yet I had to create a direct link to them, due that those tools have their own web to function.
  • Because of the complications with the tools mentioned in the previous point, I had to think of another tool to use in my website. Therefore, I decided to go with  Voyant.  I was not going to be able to compare texts within my site, but at least people would be able to see in a word diagram, the words that were used the most within the text; giving them a clue of the main theme of the item.
  •  It was quite hard to build the site. I never imagine that It was going to take me so long. Moreover, I had to learn how the website builder worked and spend hours trying to choose a theme for my page. At first I was overwhelm by the amount of tools I had to build the site, but the more I worked in it, help me get the hand of it.
  • I also wanted to add an extra language to the site, so people from different countries could participate. But, I did not make it on time.

original aim success

I would say that only have of the original aim of the project succeeded.

I would like to keep an eye on it during a couple of months. Just to see peoples reaction to it. Hans, the fact that I achieved only half of the project, does not mean that people do not find it useful the way it is now. Yet, there is always place for improvement.

I believe, that if I had three to four more weeks I could have achieved much more. I’m satisfy with some aspects of my project and discontent about the goals I was not able to achieve. But is always good to stick to the learning outcomes of it.

‘One learns more from mistakes than from doing things the right way’.

 

extension of project

The project could defensively be extended by:

  1. Incorporating more items to each collection
  2. incorporating more information about the items in each collection
  3. creating a blog where the people that are subscribe to the website can chat and expose their ideas, relate to one another and create group projects.
  4. It can even be a web with extensions all over the world to help theatrical institutions and self-tough individuals to develop their skills.

 

week 11

This week was very helpful!, now I know something I have not thought about it before.

Archiving, not only collections, but different sorts of information though an application is just great!

I believe this week’s information and websites will help me develop my Idea for my final report easier! specially DIY webarchiving, is just what I needed to search trough different sources of information and collections.

the fact that it is so specific gives you a great starting point for searching. the information is clear and in different formats. an example would be Film Noir: https://archive.org/details/Film_Noir

 

 

 

Week 6

Sinuously! How many types of graphs can there be?

I consider that is good to get to know about different types or ways to make graphs to adapt to the different ways of showing information. visualizing something helps to understand things better! The colours that distinguish the different elements, time periods, etc. All settle into one graphic. It’s amazing how easy it makes you acknowledge a huge amount of information just in one visual.

But, although is good to have different types of graphics that adapt to the type of information you have or to the way one wants to display things, It could be tricky for does that do not have much experience with technology.

One has to be careful, depending on the graphs you use there are many things that can be misunderstood by other viewers.

In addition, the technology advance and new graphs come into play constantly, what will create lots of confusion if you are no up to date.

in conclusion every graphic should be enplane briefly for the viewer to understand it.

week 4

Well, this class was a bit confusing for me.  It is true that data is easier to read through graphs and other type of representation, than that would have been, for me, before knowing about this tools. Yet, I wasn’t able to understand properly how to do it and how it works. Being honest, I was completely lost for the whole class and it was hard for me to assimilate all the content and the different tools.

I was really confuse about the type of files use in each. although some of the tools like Plot.ly are easy to use and you only have to cut and paste, for me it was a nightmare.  I couldn’t get it at all, despite the fact of going home and reading everything twice.

week 3

For this class, we look upon different search tools.

I didn’t know how many ways to search though things where out there. The coolest thing is, that depending on the tool you use you get back a different result. For example:

Serendip-o-matic gives you the results just from a search within the collections, while Google gives you the results from the whole Internet. You can see the ‘past’ in Serendip-o-matic, and see the ‘now’ through Google.

What I found interesting about this class is that, you can even get results that you were not expecting to get or that you would have never imagine as options, but they are relevant to your search.

In my opinion, Knowing about different ways to search though networks is essential, not only for collections but for the increase of knowledge in general. And knowing which tool to use, will also save you time on the search for something, due that it narrows down your field of work (according to the tool you use).

week 10

 

 

This week we took a look at creating 3d images out of pictures, discussing and debating about the purpose and use of 3d digitalization.

In my opinion is a handful technique, its use extends from recreating thing that do not longer exists like architectural structures that no longer exist out of plans or other documentation, to recreate objects that are in good conditions inside a collection.

The interaction with space was an essential part of the conversation topic this week.

In believe, the 3d digitalization of museums or objects within them give people the opportunity to interact with things they do not normally have access to.

Despite its advantages, this way of displaying an object can sometimes disconnect you from the object itself.

I really liked how everyone had their own views about the use of lack of it within collections.

Below an example of 3D site model reconstruction, comparing it with the site images from today.

Week 9

Recognition of faces, what a great application! I found it quite interesting and amazing. it’s true we turn to see faces or we look for them constantly in our surroundings. the different applications have different purposes and ways to recognize faces.

Before this class, i did not imagine this type of application could be helpful in heritage discoveries like the Anne Boleyn’s case where a research team had use facial recognition to identify her portrait, although hesitation can take over and the fact that is not entirely trusty is a great thing to consider the different ways technology can be use to innovate and help us get more and more of our cultural history every day.

 

 

Week 5

I found quite interesting this weeks class.

The different ways of comparing texts and see which words have been use by different people or eras and at the same time which ones have been used as a same level.

Finding how much has a word been used in a certain text also gave me a great idea to narrow down possibilities and time on text reading.

these class tools help me develop  my proposal idea and gave me great tools to work with.

Below some images related to the words found on a website text using Voyant:

50 words

2

500 wordsUntitled Untitled3

The tools we used in this class also help us recognize or make us question things that we wouldn’t have otherwise due to the fact that, narrowing down data, we can actually pay more attention to the information that is actually out there for us.

I enjoy the class! thank you.

Introduction

Hey there!

I’m Paula. I find digital interaction quite hard, due that I’m not use to it, yet the fact that we can achieve an increase in general knowledge, exchange ideas and information that we would not otherwise makes me want to try harder to understand the digital world.

I have a big project waiting for me back home.. oh, by the way I;m from Argentina. There digitization or the mere fact of sharing things constantly through the internet is not an usual thing: Therefore, introducing a different way or discipline that could actually reduce the use of paper and help us communicate faster, easier and being able to share limitless information in just some seconds would help to develop ideas and  reduce the feeling of exclusion or increase the possibilities for people to participate in activities they would like through the network.

Saludos, HASTA LA PROXIMA!

have a great day!

 

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