Catch Up- 08/27

I was eager to read Professor Burton's own work relating to digital history. There is something special reading a piece for which you know the author. I was immediately caught by the depth of the article itself. I found myself asking questions that were later answered in the sentences of paragraphs to come. It is evident that much research, mapping, and experience surrounds the article.

Under the section titled, “ The State of American Digital History” I found it interesting at the notion of how digital history will spread. Is just a computer needed? I think that just five or so years ago computers were considered the main source of significant technology that can hold history. However, now, in just the few short years, I think a lot has changed. Instead of personal computers, which are still highly desired and widely used, people often have a smart phone and carry, essentially, a small computer in their hands. This has blown digital history into a whole new realm that, I think, is worth considering.

Often times, history is considered only for highlighting the famous people leaving a significant impact. While this is all relative and great, it has often left the everyday, normal people and their lives in the shadows. This is you and this is me. People desire to hear stories of average day human beings. This kind of thinking now fuels the gateway into a new type of digital history of social media. This is a place where people promote their own lives creating their own history. Social media is beginning more and more to exist on applications meant for cell phones, not computers. Because of this, I feel that digital history should begin taking hold of this opportunity to see trends in communities, societies, etc. by tapping into the exclusive, vast world of social media that happens away from a computer screen.