Public History

Incorporating new media effectively into a webpage can often prove difficult. The Smithsonian, however, did a great job with their HistoryWired: A Few of Our Favorite Things. The sudden popup with instructions gives a slightly daunting feel to the site at first, but it becomes easier as the user visits becomes familiar with the different areas. The ability of customization on this site is wide-ranging. From the different color subject highlights, to the ranking of personal preference on the articles, after a while the site feels like to belongs to the user. I actually got involved in the site and sidetracked from my task quite easily. After an object has been viewed, a small checkmark is applied to the main map so the user can chart their progress. Each entry also includes a small bibliography and often links for further exploration of a topic. Another interesting feature is the choices offered. In addition to the subject heading across the top, a pull-down menu is available on the side to help highlight specific areas on the map. It is possible to sort the map by time, although it is not clearly pointed out. There are two drag-able squares on each side of the timeline that shade the map according to the time the object was in use. One of the few things I didn’t like about the site was the relatively small amount of information given about each object. With all the work that went into the design and set up, I thought there would be more than a paragraph about each specific object. Also, when an object is chosen for more information from the main map, it is displayed in a new window. While this is good for cross referencing and comparison, if other windows are also open, it is not always as smooth as it should be. Often when the user closes the object details to return to the map, the map doesn’t come back, instead bringing up another window already open. Likewise is the same going from the map to a detail. The new window opens, but isn’t always displayed. Over all, the site is informative and a good introduction to the various items presented.