A Personal Exploration of Digital History

As most of you readers may know (since you are likely my classmates), that last post was my final project. One thing I forgot, however, was how I am planning to preserve it. To keep my work safe for years to come, I plan on creating a version of this slideshow on Google Drive which will allow me to access it with my gmail log in information (with a strong password that I use specifically for that account which does not use any known words) on any computer with internet access. This, in combination with the copies I have saved on my computer and on my flash drive, creates a situation where I am unlikely to lose all versions before being able to make an additional copy if necessary. In addition to the PowerPoint document I have on my computer, I also have screenshots of the slides. This means if the screenshots get deleted or if the file becomes corrupted I will still have access to my visualizations. Additionally, this means two different file types in case one becomes obsolete. While I am not interested in going as far as partitioning my hard drive to preserve this for the future, I would like to still access it later. That said, if I really wanted to cover all possibilities, I could always turn to the tried and true method of printing it to create an analog copy of the sort that has provided us centuries of history – though certainly against the spirit of turning the past digital!

Just remember, LOCKSS keep our digital files safe!

(Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe!)

The Eisenhower Interstate System: something my generation uses consistently,  but rarely ever recognizes for more than its pothole ridden, traffic filled corridors. The Interstate Highway System, championed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, was fist authorized in 1956 through the Federal highway act, with construction of the original portion being completed 35 years later. While the economic impact of this measure is probably the first question on everyone’s mind, I would like to instead explore what kind of impact the new Interstate system had on the population of America and the amount of credit given to the Interstate System for changing the face of America.

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I am currently looking at exploring the topic of “How and why did the great Depression shape movie theaters in the 1930s?” Keep an eye out for the final result!