social incentives

Beyond any particular differences in the perception of the Web by different social categories, there is a particular feature on which all of them seem to agree. This feature is the social component of the Web 2.0. It has already become a cliche to argue that Web 1.0 was only about passivity and text absorption, while Web 2.0 is a new qualitative phenomenon, which resurfaces the social component of human activity and revive the social instincts of the New Social Man. In other words, if Web 1.0 was somehow similar to the prehistoric age, when isolated human communities scribbled on the walls of the caves different symbols, then Web 2.0 is the age of archeological excavations or reinterpretation, when different communities discover the caves and start to discuss the meaning of the symbols.

In this spirit, I decided to divide my project into two parts, which, if everything will go according to my plans, would entail two stages. To a certain extent, these two stages will evolve chronologically in a consecutive manner. Thus, first part of the project and the first stage will follow the pattern of Web 1.0, while the second part and the second stage will fortunately develop according to the ethos of Web 2.0. Now, let's turn from this esoteric discussion to the more practical issues. What do I mean by these two stages and their particular components?

So, the first stage of my project or my Web 1.0 will be basically constructed from my uploading certain content on the Web: maps, newspapers and official documents. In this sense, it will be like the interpretation of history from above. Since I have some materials in this sense, I can go into this stage very soon.

The second stage or what I am calling my Web 2.0 will follow after or with the first stage. In this sense, I can engage in some activities on the ground, hoping to get some contribution from local communities. By referring to the local communities, I have in mind not only the two different communities from the towns, which I am looking at, but also the innumerable local networks, which have developed according to different lines of interest involving people from both towns.

Firstly, there are local museums or historical enthusiasts, who are somehow neglected not only by the outsiders but also by the people from these communities. In this sense, I hope that the prospect of getting them into the digital formats and being connected to other communities in the world will bring some positive results as to their participation in my project. In this way, I can get at least some materials, which I can then upload to the website.

Secondly, my research into the project will entail several visits to local archives, where I will be able to follow some examples of the families which moved from one town to other town, because of different circumstances, either economic incentives, family purposes or political views. In this sense, an interesting thing will be to follow these families or individuals and to see if there are some of their relatives or friends still residing there. While I am sure that not all of them will be open to getting their family members on the web, I could at least get some stories around these people and compile some official documents into my web collection.

Thirdly, the local history teachers is another category, which would like to be listened to. In addition, my project could at least serve as a teaching instrument or why not a way to involve some of the local students into gathering the materials. One winning strategy will be to find two schools in these two towns and to assign them an analysis of the same sources. Then, I will post these document readings on the website. In this sense, there are several possibilities: to post a video material from their discussions and on the same page to upload photo images of their written thoughts on this document.