I have (perhaps foolishly) decided to model the Skinner Memorial Chapel. While modeling the intricate building will certainly be challenging, finding pictures of it does not seem to be so hard. There are many pictures to be found in the Carleton College digital archives, which makes collecting images and there meta data fairly easy.
I certainly respect the value of meticulously collecting meta data, even though it is difficult, and I really appreciate the meta data that is already available when I get a picture from the Carleton archives. Omeka has a page explaining their use of the Dublin Core standard for meta data, where they state “we wanted to contribute to a movement that is helping to standardize data about digital objects.” It’s funny to think of something as mundane as recording meta data as being part of movement, but I think I understand where they are coming from.
Much like the “free and open source” movement, this movement is about sharing and collaborating. Those that decide to collect meta data in this standardized format are deciding that when they conduct research / create knowledge, they have an obligation to do so in a way that others will be able to access and build upon. There’s a philosophical component here– just as a society can decide that water should be a human right, or healthcare, so too can a society decide that knowledge should be shared, and employing a standard for meta data collection enables that right.
Firstly, you’re really brave for choosing Skinner Memorial Chapel. It’s gonna turn out to be great!
Secondly, I reallly echo what you said about metadata. It really allows for people to acquire knowledge. and its free. It’s a human right and metadata makes that possible.
I really like the connection you made between metadata and the larger movement for sharing knowledge. It’s easy to lose track of why we’re recording information on these photos, but thinking more about it, if we didn’t make the details available, it’s sort of like holding a monopoly on the data. It may seem arbitrary when it comes to photos of buildings, but on other projects withholding information can actually have serious and harmful effects.
Dustin,
I agree with Alice and Selam — your linking of metadata to the larger “movement” of open data, open access, open source and the open internet in general is spot on. The W3C exists to ensure community standards for the web, which like the Dublin Core, are not required but strongly encouraged by the community of users and makers, who see tremendous value in data interoperability.
Thanks for your thoughtful post!
I enjoyed reading your article. The only small suggestion I would make is that adding images into your blog post can make it more appealing to random visitors.