eHistory: 2008

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Hot Pick! American Presidency Project

For a feeling of past times, check out the splendid online archive of presidential speeches, news conferences and radio addresses, “The American Presidency Project.” Search for “Reconstruction Finance Corporation” or other terms that interest you. Here is an excerpt from his annual message to Congress, 8 December 1931:

RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION

In order that the public may be absolutely assured and that the Government may be in position to meet any public necessity, I recommend that an emergency Reconstruction Corporation of the nature of the former War Finance Corporation should be established. It may not be necessary to use such an instrumentality very extensively. The very existence of such a bulwark will strengthen confidence. The Treasury should be authorized to subscribe a reasonable capital to it, and it should be given authority to issue its own debentures. It should be placed in liquidation at the end of two years. Its purpose is that by strengthening the weak spots to thus liberate the full strength of the Nation’s resources. It should be in position to facilitate exports by American agencies; make advances to agricultural credit agencies where necessary to protect and aid the agricultural industry; to make temporary advances upon proper securities to established industries, railways, and financial institutions which can not otherwise secure credit, and where such advances will protect the credit structure and stimulate employment. Its functions would not overlap those of the National Credit Corporation.

and the link to his signing of the RFC legislation.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Hot Pick! Copernic Desktop Search

After gathering documents, writing papers, and collecting images, how does one search them all? To deal with this problem, companies have come up with desktop search engines Windows Search comes built into Vista: type in the space at the bottom left corner of your screen and Windows Search will find files that contain your search term. The Apple equivalent is called "Spotlight." Google Desktop Search is also popular but very sluggish and privacy-invading.

These three programs find file names containing your search term but do not go to the precise location of your search term; instead, you have to open the file you think you need and then scroll through a preview screen (even worse, Apple Spotlight requires you to open a second program to simply Preview and scroll, scroll, scroll). The Window, Apple, and Google engines are also limited to a certain number of file types--you need to add plug-ins for additional file types. You also need to add "filters" to play PDF if you don't have Adobe on your computer.

The Windows and Apple search engines perform like go-carts compared to the Porsche of Desktop Searching: Copernic.

The free version of Copernic is

*Lighter and faster than its competitors

*Indexes remarkably fast

*The interface includes a built-in preview pane

*The preview pane can play music or video from within (no need to open a separate player)

*No need for plug-ins or filters: Copernic plays all file types "out of the box."

*Most important, the preview pane highlights your search terms and jumps to them as you hit on the term you are seeking. This is a REAL time saver if you are zooming through documents that are very long. No more futile scrolling.

*If you have Vista, install Copernic and check the box to replace Window Search. Turn off the Windows Search function so it isn't indexing too; you will see a major boost in the performance of your PC. Copernic works right from the Orb (the search space at the bottom left-hand corder).

Mac fanboys rave about Spotlight but it is clear they have not used the best Windows desktop search engine. I found Spotlight to be primitive at best compared to Copernic and even Windows Search. For all of the above reasons, Copernic is the tops! Show it to your Mac friends and then ask them for a demo of how they find information. Think of the famous advertisement: "Hi, I'm Mac Spotlight," "and I'm Copernic." Except this time Mac loses.

REVIEWS:

http://www.consumersearch.com/www/software/desktop-search-engines/

http://www.filesworld.com/downloads/file/fid,24670-order,1-page,12-c,desktop/description.html

http://blogs.pcworld.com/tipsandtweaks/archives/002800.html

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/102276/copernic-desktop-search-2.html

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Hot Pick! Google Patents

For those researching an inventor or businessman, locating patents was a real problem. In the past, historians had to travel to Washington, DC and go through the books at the U.S. Patent Office. The government's web site was less than friendly to any one searching for the patents of an important inventor. Example: A student needed the patents of John Harvey Kellogg. Other students have researched the history of certain machines (including sex toys!). Where to begin?

Google Patents is buried in the "More" tab of the Google home page. Along with Google Books, Google Patents is a treasure trove of primary source material for material unavailable in your local library system:

http://www.google.com/patents

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

What is the Best Book to bring to Wi-Fi Island?

Books on digital history come and go in rapid succession. Many focus only on how to gather sources without noting how to apply the historical method to your research. After going through the "gee-whiz" phase of digital history, scholars are discovering the potential and limits of online research. Fortunately, Oxford University Press has published an excellent guide to historical research that combines both digital and nondigital sources. If I had to pick a single book to bring to a deserted island that had wi-fi, it would be . . . . drumbeat . . .

Jenny Presnell, The Information-Literate Historian: A Guide to Research for History Students (Oxford, 2006).

Portable Software: Better than Ever (2010 Update)

Most of us have programs that we need but do not use very often. Why add a half dozen of these programs to your computer and thus "gunk" it up? Discover the wonderful world of "portable apps!"

A portable application is one that installs on a flash key and leaves no trace on your computer. You can run the program entirely from a flash key or on your computer's hard drive (all your portable applications run from a single folder with subfolders for each application--never touching the computer's registry!). Great for using on public computers that don't allow you to add your software or to fix a friend's computer.

The single best site for portable software (all free):

http://portableapps.com/

This wonderful site also adds a launcher and auto-updater for all your portable applications (see above sample image. You can change how it looks and how the applications are organized.

Other sites (with launchers and updater):

http://www.pendriveapps.com/

http://www.liberkey.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_portable_software

Here are the programs that I use but you may find your own "suite" from the list of 300-400 available at the above sites. Many are cross-platform (work on Windows or Mac). All are FREE. Students take note: You can bring your flash key to computer labs (very handy since computer lab PCs do not allow you to add your own software).

7-zip: free (and more powerful) alternative to Winzip. Compress and decompress folders, file batches and test them to see if there are errors.

Audacity: the first user-friendly version of this super-popular audio editor. Past versions frustrated me to no end because they were so complex. This is easy to use and handles all file formats.

Bonkenc: audio conversion

CCleaner: cleans up temp files and registry after install/uninstall.

*Classmate Grading: fantastic grade book (commercial). I've been using it for over ten years. Tried the rest and the small lifetime fee is worth it.

DVD Styler: converts videos (AVI, MP4, FLV, WMV) to a DVD format for playing on DVD players or computers. Awesome for home videos or putting together a presentation. I use it to compile a playlist of music videos for my big flat screen TV.

Firefox 4: OK, I have Firefox on all of my computers but what to do when I'm on the road without a computer? Put Firefox, with all my bookmarks and extensions, on a flash key. I can use on any public access computer and leave no traces behind.

Filehippo Update Checker: Filehippos is an excellent place to download software. It also offers older versions if you don't like the latest version. The free Update Checker scans your computer and identifies all updates of your programs! What a time-saver compared to checking each program manually. You can even set it to run at startup, check all your programs for new versions and then shut down. Wunderbar!

GoogleChrome: fast alternative to Firefox with a huge (free) store of extensions.

Imgburn: CD/DVD/Blu-ray burner. If you are copying DVD video folders: Select “Build” – output as “Device” (not image) – and click the icon to burn. Imgburn will also create mp3 disks and ISO images (a single-file clone of an entire software installation disk). Use the default settings (the advanced features are mind numbing in their complexity).

JavaRa: "removes old and redundant versions of the Java Runtime Environment (JRE). Simply select 'Check for Updates' or 'Remove Older Version' to begin."

MozBackup: backups up all the settings of your Firefox to install them with one or two clicks on another computer's Firefox. No more adding extensions, bookmarks, etc. manually.

OpenOffice 3.3: an excellent alternative to Microsoft Office. The Microsoft suite is still the best but by a thin margin.

PDF-XCHANGE VIEWER: top-rated PDF reader with added features (highlight, typewriting)

PDFTK Builder: all the power of Acrobat in a very small program that splits, combines, merges, edits PDF files.

Renamer: how many times have you imported a batch of files with gobbledygook file names (as with digital camera numbering)? This free program will change file names according to rules that you add from a handy list. For example, I imported pictures of my family in Maine from Summer 2008. I added two rules:

1. Replace camera numbers with “Maine vacation” (followed by number sequence);

2. Add the original file date (the date I took the picture) to the filename suffice. Thus, “Maine Vacation 08-01-2008 (1).” Often, when you copy or import pictures or other files, the date changes to today’s date, not the original date. This corrects that problem and many more.

Revo Uninstaller: better than the built-in Windows uninstaller because it scours the registry and removes all keys. Revo also uninstalls stubborn programs that don't want to be removed!

Startup: great for adding or deleting programs to your startup, delaying startup of a program, etc.

VLC: plays any video or DVD file. Can also record entire movies or clips of movies by hitting a red "Record" button.

WinPatrol: prevents web sites and programs from installing unwanted start-up items (including malware). Paid version provides great information on what those stray programs are on your computer ($30 lifetime fee covers all your computers). This frees up a lot of memory and makes your PC faster. Why do computers "slow down" with age? Because the programs you install inject themselves in start-up and ALWAYS RUN even when you don't need them. This is the number one problem I encounter when “fixing” a newbie’s computer. Because I own Winpatrol Plus, I simply carry (or use) the portable version to help my friends or check my own computers. WinPatrol identifies unneeded software, and you can then disable those that don't need to be running.

Xmedia Recode: a comprehensive audio/video converter. Xmedia handles all formats and has a long list of presets to format to a iPhone, Xbox or other gadget. Fast and useful. Also does batch jobs.

One final note:

Once you find portable programs you like throw the inventor a few bucks. He/she deserves it.

See also:

http://www.davinciplanet.com/reasons-to-use-portable-applications/

http://www.mariosalexandrou.com/blog/?p=232

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Endnote X2 Review

The makers of Endnote have released version X2 with some neat new features. I'll be testing the trial version for 30 days before deciding on an upgrade. Their video demo is not earth-shattering but might be worth the $100 upgrade. Windows version available now, Mac later this summer.

I was a longtime Procite user and miss the ability to check box the entries I need. Endnote currently only allows CTRL-select but one slip of the fingers and all your selections go "poof."

Update, July 29, 3009: Endnote appears to be a "mature" product. The latest version (X2) tries to find PDF versions of a citation but this is NBD (No Big Deal). It also has the Internet Search integrated into the main window but seems to add all the "hits" to the current reference list--I liked having the ability to add selected items, even if it was from a separate page. Why didn't they integrate into the main window and keep that structure? Not much more to the update. They've added "smart groups" but the old Procite group/keyword tabs at the bottom of the page were much easier. And Endnote still lacks ability to mark records.

All in all, this version is disappointing. I suppose if they put all the strengths of Procite (which they also own) into Endnote, they couldn't continue with one slight modification ("version") after another. This is the Microsoft approach--goose the market and then retire at 50 with your 50 billion dollars and save the world. Forget the end user.

Bottom line: Pass on this version of Endnote. XI was a noticeable improvement of X but X2 you can do without. They better watch out because Zotero is catching up. (The one great weakness of Zotero is its lack of rich text, something the geek developers actually trumpet! They are like the Linux crowd: the more convoluted, the better. Sigh.).

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

The Historian's Toolbox

Dr. Jonathan Bean

Faner 3266

453-7872; jonbean@siu.edu

Faculty web page: http://tinyurl.com/8egfh Office hours: TBA

Digital History

(http://i-history.blogspot.com/)

Since the 1980s, a digital revolution has transformed the research, writing, teaching and preservation of history. The historian's toolbox now includes the word processor, specialized software, email, and web services. The following modules teach students how to use these tools to become better historians.

Caveat: The basic rules of historical research remain the same: conduct a literature search, review the secondary literature, and research primary sources—mostly in libraries or archives and not on the Internet. NOTE: You must base your final project on both digital and paper sources. Simply gathering digital sources is akin to scooping gold from surface soil while ignoring the mother lode beneath the ground. The old rules of writing also apply: have "something to say" (be original) and say it well (be creative). Lastly, history instructors may benefit from digital media but computer programs are no substitute for effective teaching skills.

"How Do I?"

Prepare "how-to" questions as they occur to you. No question is too simple because others may benefit from having it addressed. Post your questions by adding a comment to the module in question. Do not take it for granted that "everyone else must know how to _____." This is part of building a FAQ: "Frequently Asked Questions." Friedrich Hayek earned a Nobel Prize for describing this market process of gathering "dispersed knowledge" to meet the needs of people unknown to each other. When an individual asks what he/she needs, or offers answers, a market of knowledge is available to others. Wikipedia is based on this Hayekian notion. Read http://tinyurl.com/56az2v

For stand-alone courses, teachers may use the following "syllabus" as a guide. Students may use it as a way to pace their tutorials (if they are doing all modules).

Course assignments

Paper (35%): 8-12 page research paper on an approved topic in American history (other topics require special approval). Add an appendix reflecting on the steps you took to complete the paper and project. The reflective essay may be drawn from your blog entries, which are ideal for charting your progress.

Book Review (10%): review a book or collection of primary sources.

Web review (10%): review a web site or application.

Weekly assignments (15%)

Multimedia project and presentation (30%): be creative—multimedia-rich Powerpoint(s), an effective blog, electronic notes, podcasts, and more.

Required Reading and Software:

•Pressnell, The Information-Literate Historian: A Guide to Research for History Students (Oxford UP, 2007).

•E-reserve articles

•Software: free applications to manage Windows, Mac, and open-source files (distributed on CD).

Windows and Mac:

Any Video Converter Free:

http://filehippo.com/download_any_video_converter/

Any Audio Converter Free:

http://www.any-audio-converter.com/

Video Converter/Audio Converter (Mac) $35

http://order.any-video-converter.com/mac-software.php

ALTERNATIVES:

Quick Media Converter(Windows): Amazingly powerful audio and video converter. Also plays small screen picture of every imaginable file type. The Easy Mode converts to a range of devices and file formats (even Wii and iPhone!). Expert mode has even more options. QMC also includes Camstudio for recording action on your screen (good for tutorials) and Webcam Studio for capturing video conversations or the like.

http://www.cocoonsoftware.com/

Jetaudio Plus 7 *($30 lifetime subscription, unlimited computers): The Swiss Army knife of digital media. Plays and converts all Win/Mac audio/video files and DVDs. Does batch jobs—real time saver. Ideal for converting files from Windows-to-Mac or Mac-to-Windows. I've tried countless free converters and none of them are bug-free or as accurate as Jetaudio Plus. Available at http://www.cowonamerica.com/products/jetaudio/

Windows and Mac:

2. Firefox and Firefox Portable: install both versions (portable on your USB drive). Go to http://portableapps.com/

3. Firefox add-ons: Zotero, Downthemall!, Video Download Helper, Deskcut, TinyUrl, Feed Sidebar, Wikipedia, Wayback Machine, Foxmarks Bookmarks Synchronizer (sign-up required).

4. Audacity 1.3.7 (beta): make sure to get the Beta version because it is the first user-friendly rendition of this once-geeky (but popular) audio editor/recorder/mixer. http://filehippo.com

5. Windows Live Photo Gallery (Mac equivalent: iPhoto)

6. Windows Movie Maker (Mac equivalent: iMovie)

7. Acrobat alternative (Mac Preview): Foxit Reader (http://filehippo.com), doPDF (http://www.dopdf.com/, PDFTK Builder (http://angusj.com/pdftkb/#pdftkbuilder

8. Clipmagic (Windows): http://clipmagic.com/ Mac users try iClip Lite or Savvy Clipboard

9. Endnote X2 (demo)

Optional: use if the above programs don't work for a specific need.

MPEG Streamclip with Quicktime Alternative 1.81 (the version makes a difference, go to www.filehippo.com for this older version).

VLC Media Player: http://filehippo.com VLC plays just about anything on Win or Mac ("cross-platform"). VLC Portable plays from your flash key. Use it to check the integrity of your creations. You can also use it on a flash key (portable).

*In addition to the above software, you should have Office 2007 (Office 2008 for Mac users) or a close substitute. Open Office is free but Office 2007 is the standard and discounted while you are in school. All tutorials based on Office 2007.

Web Services: sign up for the following:

Blackboard: Course page is open for discussions, e-mail messages, uploading of web links and other files. Complete your assignments on Blackboard.

Email account: Gmail needed to create a free blog, personalized home page; Live.com (formerly hotmail) needed for free online storage (see below)

Online storage: Find a reliable site for uploading assignments. Recommendation: Windows Live Skydrive (http://skydrive.live.com/).

Blogger.com: Use Gmail to get a free blogger account.

RSS Feeds: audio or video that “streams” across the Internet 24/7. Your blog site is a RSS Feed.

Gcast.com: Free podcasting site.

Youtube: use your Gmail to log on and upload your creations. Set to "Private" and share only with me and/or your classmates (unless you want to share with the world). NOTE:: I have grown frustrated with the 10 minute time limit Youtube sets for segments. I now prefer MSN Video for uploading 30 minutes or more and then arranging them into a 1 or 2 hour movie!

H-Net: A popular watering hole for historians. Discussion networks, syllabi, multimedia tips, book reviews, announcements, and more. Join a discussion network in the topic area of your project.

HNN ("History News Network"): individual and group blogs by historians.

*Bring a flash key (USB drive) to every class.

Digital History: A Basic Guide

The following modules cover the following topics. This is a “hands-on” course that allows you to practice in the lab and home. For a memory jogger, see the screencast demos posted at http://i-history.blogspot.com/

*Computer basics: Installing software, configuring Firefox, useful keyboard commands, etc.

Blogging: create your own blog and find history blogs related to your interests. Send me your blog address. The two main blogging services are www.blogger.com (Google) and http://wordpress.com/ Blogger is much easier to use; you will be up and running in ten minutes. WordPress has more power and a steeper learning curve. My advice is to get a blogger account (Gmail required).

Online Storage: You will need an online storage site to upload assignments (provide links on your blog so I can see where you have posted your assignments). I've tried many free services that eventually charged for the service. After that rigmarole, I switched to Windows Live Skydrive–a well-crafted storage site (free up to 25GB). You need live.com email (also free).

*Firefox: using add-ons to download audio, video, maps, photos in batches.

*RSS feeds: There are many options but I prefer the simplicity of the feed interface built into the new Windows Live Mail. Alternatives; Firefox "Brief" extension, Google Reader are popular alternatives.

*Screen capture

*Audio/video: Audio converters are a dime a dozen but super-accurate video converters are a rare breed. Video conversion is important because Apple computers don't play the Windows format (WMV) and Windows doesn't natively play Apple. You may use VLC Media Player to play just about anything but you need to convert to edit with iMovie or Windows Movie Maker. For Windows, I recommend converting all files to WMV, unless you plan to use online. For Powerpoints, etc. WMV is the preferred format. MP4 is the preferred Apple format.

Video conversion: Quick Media Converter. This is Windows software but it converts and plays Mac, Windows, MP3, open source files. The simplicity, power, and dual-OS (Win/Mac) features make this a beauty.
Alternatives: MPEG Streamclip (Mac). MPEG Streamclip is available Mac/Win. Think of it as Quicktime Pro on steroids for Mac users.For Windows users, two separate programs: Any Audio Converter, Any Video Converter.

Video editing: Windows Movie Maker (Win), iMovie (Mac), MPEG Streamclip (Win/Mac). MPEG Streamclip gets raves from both Mac and Win users who use file types from "both sides" of the OS divide (http://tinyurl.com/6l8cj6). However, as a PC user I prefer converting to a Windows format and then editing within Windows Movie Maker. Mac users might prefer converting to a Mac format and edit within iMovie. Nevertheless, there are occasions when MPEG Streamclip comes in handy, so have it in your arsenal.

Audio conversion: Quick Media Converter

Audio editing: Audacity 1.3.7 (Win and Mac): edits, mixes (combines) files and more. I've tried many such programs but they are "techie" and difficult-to-learn. K.I.S.S. Audacity was one of those techie programs until this version and then I became a convert.

Audio stream record: Audacity.

*Photo editing, animated GIFs. For the dark history of airbrushing, read Jaubert, Making People Disappear. http://www.newseum.org/berlinwall/commissar_vanishes/

*Electronic notetaking:

Zotero: free citation (Zotero). Zotero senses when there are citations on a web page (JSTOR, SIUCAT, Google Scholar, Project Muse, Amazon, etc.), then retrieves them in your citation style (Chicago/Turabian). Zotero even imports the article PDFs and attaches them to your citations (you can turn that feature off). Take notes within the new Zotero with rich text notetaking. Allows subject "tags."

For more power and productivity, I highly recommend Endnote XI (Endnote X2 for 64-bit computers). You may import your Zotero citations into Endnote. For the purposes of this tutorial , I will merely demonstrate Endnote’s capabilities. The learning curve is steeper and Endnote costs more than Zotero.

NOTE: Zotero is amazing freeware but

*Syncing your database between computers is difficult even with the best sync software. Recommendation: use Zotero on Portable Firefox and carry it on a USB drive. For a review of Zotero, see "Zotero and Endnote . . . for Historians" (http://tinyurl.com/6fz7fb)

*Hyperlink: turn written phrases into hyperlinks that connect the reader to a web site. Most programs (Word, Powerpoint, Blogger, email) contain a hyperlink button.

*Podcasting: using and creating podcasts (streaming audio or video). You can listen to podcasts on many topics, including history. Record them with your software. Upload your podcasts to Gcast.com, Youtube.com, or iTunesU.

*Screencasting: Camstudio 2.0 – for those who want to teach computer skills to others. Lacks adequate audio input, however, so if you can afford it, get Camtasia, the industry leader. Neither one is needed for this course -- this is simply an information note.

*Electronic literature searches: America: History and Life, Historical Abstracts, Project Muse, WorldCat, SIUCAT and other databases.

*Digital primary source collections: Project Gutenberg, Google Scholar/Books, Library of Congress, Avalon, Holocaust Archive, Cold War International History Project, more.

*Audio books: Librivox.org (free, volunteer-based). Probably not useful for your project but file away for future edification or if you teach learning-disabled students who benefit from audio books. Quality of readings vary.

*Discussion groups (scholarly discussion groups): H-Net and beyond

*Syllabi/lesson plans: Finding, creating and posting. See H-Net for starters. Specialized fields have their own collections (e.g., economic history has eh.net)

*Powerpoint: making multimedia-rich Powerpoints with audio, video, photos, maps, advertisements, text. How to make your Powerpoints “snafu-free.”

*Digital archiving: scanning archival documents to readable text (OCR). Requires specialized software (demo available)

*Copyright and fair use issues

*On-campus resources: Morris Library (Instructional Support), CoLA Media Center.

Week 1

Discuss Readings

Presnell, chapters 1, 7

Lab Demonstrations

Software setup and use

Week 2

Discuss readings

Presnell, chapters 2-4 (References, Catalogs, Monographs, Indexes)

Buckley, “On Writing Speedily”

Smith, “Can You Do Serious History on the Web?” http://chnm.gmu.edu/resources/essays/serioushistory.php

“Wikipedia and Beyond,” http://tinyurl.com/56az2v

Lab Demonstrations

Audio and video conversion (Any Video Converter, Any Audio Converter)

Firefox: Tinyurl, Downthemall!, Video Downloadhelper, Wayback Machine, RSS feeds

Screen capture (Clipmagic)

Clipboard extension (Clipmagic)

ASSIGNMENT DUE: Topic area (e.g., Civil War, Great Depression, Great Britain). You must demonstrate that you have background (course work, independent readings) in your chosen area.

Week 3

Discuss readings

Presnell, chapters 5-6, 8 (Evaluating Sources, Primary Sources, Maps)

Lab Demonstrations

Audio editing (Audacity)

Audio stream recording (Audacity)

Image editing (Windows Live Photo Gallery)

Video editing (Windows Movie Maker)

Week 4

Discuss readings

Presnell, chapters 9-10 (Multimedia and written presentations)

Lab Demonstrations