As we create a new history of Bold Street online, we’re using a variety of tools to help us create a mesh of content, tags, references and data. And sometimes, the unexpected happens….
Today I noticed a comment posted on one of the ‘History of Bold Street‘ images we have posted on Flickr. The comment, quite rightly points out that Flickr states the image was taken in 2007, but clearly the image is from (sometime around) 1974. Thanks or the tip ‘abnsinoan’ and we will now make sure we set the right ‘Date Taken’ on our Bold Street images. Corrections on those pictures coming soon!
This simple data error highlights the issues around creating online content “retrospectively”. Online spaces are designed around a continual content evolution, rather than archiving of past work, and as such a few things don’t quite fit. Of course we can manipulate Flickr to display the right date ‘after the event’, but this anomaly shows how the online space is geared to the process of continually archiving as we go along, creating an evolving history that writes itself. It is as if these online spaces we participate in, do not need to be archived, as they create an ever-evolving, self-referential archive just by existing and collecting and tracking every single interaction that takes place within them. This made me realise how important it is we keep the Bold Street content online for many people to write, share and enjoy.
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