words
02 Nov 2010
by heavlygrowles
in Uncategorized
Although I think Ben Fry’s Preservation of Favoured Traces is intriguing, I’m having a hard time determining if all that time and effort is worth the end result. While I can certainly appreciate the visualization of the dramatic changes in Darwin’s work I am unsure how this is applicable to other sources or topics. I am anticipating the release of the larger application Fry said that he’s been working on that “deals with the information in a more sophisticated way.” It’s such a tease because he doesn’t provide any examples or ideas. The interface as it is presented currently is difficult to use and has incredibly simplistic functionality. For now it’s barely more than a pretty picture that shows change over time. It’s meant to examine the text but at the same time it’s really difficult to do just that.
Afterward I began entering keywords in the TIME Magazine Corpus. I searched for the words like Salome, wicked, and Hollywood, and I ended up searching for so many other words that it made me register to continue. It’s a really detailed application that arranges relevant documents from the Corpus by year, and you can even view the changes over time in various forms, numerical, graphical, and the words used in its original context. There is an introduction that provides examples on how to use the corpus, and other tips for getting desired search results. While this technology offers an immense reserve of data for public use, I’m not entirely sure how anyone could utilize so much data in one location. This system is attempting to straddle the fine line between providing pertinent information on a wide breadth of topics, and creating information overload. I think since it’s a relatively new concept there is a lot to learn and discover in digital resources like this. I will be interested to watch this type of resource develop and evolves over time as user feedback directs both the interface and information.
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Nov 02, 2010 @ 13:27:07
Perhaps a valid point about Fry’s work–can it be extended to other books or texts? Maybe not if they don’t go through multiple editions or change in as significant ways as The Origin of Species did.
Nov 02, 2010 @ 14:07:54
I think Fry’s resource is unique because it sort of came out of the initial question of how original Darwin’s work was. If you’re investigating a question like that which lends itself well to studying trends and comparative analysis, then I can see how this might work. For another texts, it might be cool and visually stimulating, but maybe a bit much.
But who knows, maybe a visualization such as this might actually lead to new questions. I think that is the best possibility one could hope for in creating a resource like Fry’s. If I can visualize this body of work differently from before, how can I get at something new?
Nov 02, 2010 @ 14:59:36
One aspect that pops into my mind is comparing the changes in editions over time to events, discoveries, and knowledge in history. Why was it that so much was added, subtracted, or changed? Darwin’s works had to develop and transform over time based on new discoveries, theories, or criticisms. Does this make the last edition more valuable than the first? Are they equally valuable? What were the changes and why were they made?
I can definitely see how a work like Darwin’s can be used in this Trace for further development. Other works that had numerous editions could also benefit from this treatment, but I’m still not sure how something like a play or music could benefit from this treatment. Although, over time directors and musicians tend to change aspects of the originals in order to modernize and better relate the content to the public. This could potentially offer a new way to examine the sources and pose new questions about the subject.
It really is a neat concept and I would like to see/hear more about his larger application and his vision of this project.