Our reading last week focused on the development of digital databases along with some of the new challenges and rules that they brought into the traditionally paper based history profession. Largely these new challenges and rules had to do with issues of differentiating extensively researched historical content with some of the less professional (sites run by nonprofessional volunteers and/or hobbyists) historical websites on the web; as well as some of the new rules of conduct in the on-line world.
This week our reading dealt with the technologies that have emerged for digitizing text, images, sound, and moving images; as well as the storage of digital information in an on-line database. Since the early 1990s, when easy navigation of the Internet first became possible the variety of software available for the digitization and storage processes has increased exponentially.
Our readings from Daniel J Cohen's and Roy Rosenzweig's show that the greatest number of choices for digitization are in the area of text and images. As the authors show this goes back to the creation of HTML (or Hyper Text Markup Language) early on that provided a digital format for the arrangement of images and text on a web page.
Building off of the HTML software a number of competing programs were invented that allowed for the more complex arrangement of digital information. Some of these programs are the more easy to use packages like Dreamweaver or Adobe that come with a certain amount of per-formatting. Other programs have been created that allow for much more complex custom formatting and more direct manipulation of HTML codes that many professionals need when they are working with a complex database.
With sound and moving images the authors describe a similar pattern where there was an initial pioneer in the field of getting various multimedia on line (RealPlayer by Real Networks). As the technology for digital storage and putting multimedia online became more complex a number of competing software formats have emerged for multimedia. The authors describe the emergence of Windows Media Player, and Quicktime as well as a possible decline of RealPlayer.
What I found most interesting about our readings was the two major digital rivalries (technology wise) that have emerged with the increasing numbers of options available to people in the areas of digital storage and software.
The first rivalry involves storage of digital information on a single computer vs. storage on a wider online database. Until recently digital information such as email was stored in a database on a computer belonging to the owner of the information and/or the company he/she worked for. The necessary software was generally provided by the same company responsible for the internet connection to a particular computer or by the company that provided the operating system. However with the increasing availability of online storage space companies such as Google, Microsoft (Hotmail), and Yahoo have created large amounts of online storage that can hold email, blogs, and various forms of multimedia; people are increasingly turning to online storage that is not based on a single hard drive.
The other rivalry mentioned in the reading is the rise of free programs (software created by groups that are either nonprofit or get their money through other means besides charging for the program). The reading talked about the challenge of the companies that sell the paying software packages to make sure that their product is noticeably better then their free competition.
However I would have to say that the problem is a little more complicated then that. I use the OpenOffice software package (free) for my word processing needs. Between OpenOffice and Microsoft Office, it is Microsoft that has the better program (in my opinion). Microsoft Office is far less prone to minor glitches and has a better spelling and grammar checker. In spite of this the fact that OpenOffice is free made me choose OpenOffice because in spite of its minor faults I have saved 100+ dollars. If I am representative of other American software users then the makers of the paying programs are also going to have to figure out a way to cut costs or rely solely on their distribution deals with large institutions.
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