Revisiting the Past - Timeline

Over the past few days I've been ploughing (maybe a slight exaggeration) through the various ways in which data can be presented and designed on the web - see del.icio.us account under the 'research' tag or the links below.

Two examples:

Computer History Museum

BBC British History Timeline - by far the coolest!

How to build your own:

timetoast

simile timeline

Upon reviewing my own previous attempts of bringing together and presenting various bits of data (using print), I can see why I subsequently thought that the results were somewhat stagnant in the printed format.

The specific revisited data in question was a timeline that I had tentatively been adding to every now and again (see Adobe Indesign screen grab example image above).

Brief outline of timeline:

The fields for the timeline that I considered to be most appropriate to the research (fine art digital printmaking) were divised into the following categories:

- technology - events - fine art prints - print studios - texts.

Each category contained an image and descriptors; including relevance (to the research), key words and spec details where necessary.

My first attempt at displaying a small portion of this information via the timetoast site (the easiest online facility I tried) can be found here or under Links > Technology Timeline.

First Post

After attending an academic blog workshop recently (that highlighted many reasons as to why a research student would do such a thing) I find myself writing this sentence 'as a blogger'.

However getting to grips with the fact that these words maybe read by an 'unknown audience' I'll get on with my first post about the why's and the what's concerning this blog.

Based upon my thoughts, notes and attention in the blog workshop:

A public diary/ notebook

Allowing peers, supervisors, friends and family to know what I'm up too. e.g.

"I haven't got time this minute but you can have a look at my blog"

Benefits of the technology

Accessing the tools to create a dynamic notebook - collating previously separate information in one space - an archived and (mostly) accessible version of ones study on the web - making contacts and finding like minded people through other blogs.

Thinking about writing

Considering the audience and the thought process of instant publishing - writing styles - writing around the research - a space to consolidate ideas while hopefully not becoming overly precious about writing.

As a resource

For me personally it's important that the work I'm doing offers something outside of its journey to a red leather bound slab of words. It's often satisfying to know that something you have read, experienced or commented on has been of interest or even of use to another.

A brief blog overview

The fields of interest within this blog will be: art - technology - craft

The blog will help facilitate the process of research: writing - methods - content

The Peripheral: random thoughts along the way

Interesting related link below:

digital text