Spectrum of the humanities
¶ 1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 0 Digital humanities is a very vague and broad subject. The argument on what digital humanities is and how we use it is also very controversial. Mullen argues in her essay that the digital humanities has a spectrum, which I agree with.
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¶ 3 Leave a comment on paragraph 3 0 I think that digital humanities can be considered to be like any department that an institute or university obtains. Within degrees of engineering, you can have an emphasis mechanical, petroleum, chemical, and the list goes on. I think this is similar to what Mullen is describing on having a spectrum. Why would it not apply to the digital humanities as well? On that note, looking into the digital humanities, I believe that there could be several ways that you could create categories.
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¶ 5 Leave a comment on paragraph 5 1 On one side of the digital humanities, you have those that create blogs, websites, code, or online archives to help build the ‘digital community’ or those that are helping create content and organization like NINE, so it can be useful to those of all interest. By creating these archives, it helps not only the creator and co-creator, but it also helps those like students, or other scholars with having content useful to what they need. They are knowledgeable in the digital forms of how to be successful. They can use word, they can code, they can digitize.
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¶ 7 Leave a comment on paragraph 7 1 On the completely other side of the spectrum, you have scholars that believe that digital humanities can be bad or believe that those of the online archives, etc., is a way to continue the digitizing to keep humanities alive. Ramsay makes a claim that I believe is essential to learning the scholars’ perspective, “… I think, involves moving from reading and critiquing to building and making” [243]. I think this quote not only helps us understand their perspective, but everyone’s involved in the digital humanities. Scholars are used reading and critiquing. We have done this for centuries now, but in order for the humanities to survive, we need to do as Ramsay claims, and continue building with our education (which is what the humanities is doing). These are the ones in which keep the humanities alive through collaboration of research. Through conferences, etc.
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¶ 9 Leave a comment on paragraph 9 3 In the middle of thispectrum, you have those that can be seen doing both. You have those that are in the middle. These digital humanists are those that are on the digital platforms, but maybe not as advanced. They might not have the knowledge to code or anything, but they are learning or are somewhat more advanced than those that are on the opposite side of the spectrum.
I think it would be bennifitial to include a specific example of individuals who create blogs, websites, code an online archives. You could include a professor you’ve had, or a scholar you are interested in, or even elaborate more on the creator of NINE. I think you could also go into specifics on how these creations, sites and organizations are beneficial to students. Additionally, I Think you could throw in an example of your own experience with the digital humanties or where you would place yourself within this spectrum.