On Wednesday 1001 Danish historical places and monuments will go online. The project “1001 Stories of Denmark” has gathered – just as many of the most important historical sites in Denmark. Each historical location has been boiled down to two short texts. Texts you can read or listen to - when planning a trip – or on the mobile when sightseeing. The site contains stories on everything from old Stone Age barrows to highway intersections and the national football stadium. The site does not only provide encyclopaedic historical facts – but has a specific story attached to every place it mentions.
You can for instance read how a decanter of whisky played a crucial role in the foundation of the Danish welfare state a late night back in 1933
BE INSPIRED TO GET OUT
The goal of the site is to make tourists – Danish as well as foreign - venture out in the Danish landscape and experience new Danish historical sites face to face. And then share their experiences on the site, when they come back home. By surfing through the recommendations of other users – you can get a good idea of which sites are popular. You can also follow profiles of users you know or agree with – and check our where they've been and where they want to go.
The main foundation of the site – the first 1001 stories – is written by about 180 historical experts. But the goal of the site is – that it in the future it will mostly be user driven. The first 1001 sites were carefully chosen by The Heritage Agency of Denmark – who are behind the site – the future stories will be created by users who add their own content and recommend their favourite places. Users can also upload pictures and videos to already existing stories.
1001 Stories in moving pictures: A handful of Danish celebrities have been asked to make a short video about a location that is important to them. Here journalist Mette Vibe Utzon is presenting the former Danish Radio building (unfortunately only available in Danish)
CAN A WEBSITE LIKE THE 1001 BE A SUCCESS?
By combining massive expert knowledge with user produsage the website aims to become one of the biggest Danish databases on heritage. It's hard to foresee, if a venture like the 1001 will have the envisaged success once it's being put in the hands of the users. There are both pros and cons to consider:
On the positive side
- The first 1001 stories are there – there is already a huge reliable database to build from.
- The stories are written by historical experts and edited by journalists – the initial quality of the content is high.
- The site is government-funded – no sneaky commercial interest trying to make money on user data.
- The site was constructed as a interactive web forum from the beginning – the structure invites users to participate.
- The 1001 stories are no more than 100 words – and are easy to read or listen to on mobiles and such.
- The entire website is constructed, so you can get all the information to go.
- When first launched the site can appear as an expert dominated 'online-encyclopaedia' - it is essential, that the take off phase is successful. It will take both time and a lot of work to generate a group of users that will contribute to the site on a regular basis.
- Denmark is a small and unspectacular country – the first 1001 stories are already pushing the limits of boredom. There is a good chance, that there are no more high profile places left. If there are no new stories – the site risks becoming static.
The website is officially being launched on the 5th of May – on the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Denmark after WW2 – a well chosen date to emphasise the need of remembering our historical heritage. The website will be presented at a press conference by the Minister of Culture.
No comments:
Post a Comment