Takeaways and Q&A from “Social is the Next Search” Gigya Webinar, 02010 03 04

Takeaways and Q&A from “Social is the Next Search” Webinar, March 4, 02010

Looks like some useful tips here for anyone interested in how to apply social search concepts to their online business.

United States National Archives launches OurArchives, follows revolutionary trend set by mother country England

In a bold move that follows the revolutionary trend of old mother country England, the United States National Archives officially launched on July 8, 02010, 234 years and four days after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, a public wiki for researchers called Our Archives. According to the About Our Archives page,

Users can contribute to the Our Archives wiki in numerous ways. You can:

* Create new pages and edit pre-existing pages about historical subjects and records held by the National Archives
* Expand upon a description in our online catalog
* Publish your transcription of a document
* Add information to build upon other resources
* Use it as a workbook to store useful information discovered during your archival research
* Collaborate with other users working on similar subjects or to work together on research projects

The wiki is hosted by Wikispaces (the paid, private label version).

The United Kingdom's YourArchives wiki, launched in April 2007, is at http://yourarchives.nationalarchives.gov.uk and is powered by MediaWiki, the software made famous by Wikipedia.

If you get it, share it, but why are there no sharing tools on the Social Media Club site?

The Social Media Club was founded in 2006 in San Francisco, California, USA, and there are now chapters around the world. The Social Media Club's tag line is "If you get it, share it." Well, I get it, but I'll be darned if I can figure out why the Social Media Club Web site has not a one social media sharing tool in sight.

Historypin to see the past through Google Maps

In partnership with Google, We Are What We Do, a social action movement based in London, England, created Historypin:

a digital time machine that provides a new way for the world to see and share history.

The site allows users to share images from their personal photo albums, as well as the stories behind them. To date, pictures have been provided from various national archives, as well as diverse contributors including Selfridges, Marks & Spencer, the Royal Albert Hall and Arsenal FC.

Developed in partnership with Google, the site finds a unique use for Google Maps and Street View, meaning pictures can be dated as well as geo-tagged and then 'pinned' into place on top of modern Street View photography.

The result is a fascinating snapshot of the changing face of local streets and well known landmarks and provides a new perspective on historic moments.

The site has ambitions to become the World's largest user-generated archive of historic images and stories, providing easy access to digitised history stretching from the invention of the camera to yesterday.

Source: An historic launch for We Are What We Do and Google, June 7, 02010 and thanks to Peter Kurilecz for his notice on a photohistory mailing list, June 5, 02010

DCC / DPC What's New: Issue 27

The Digital Curation Centre and the Digital Preservation Coalition released What's New, Issue 27 (July 02010), on July 5, 02010.