From: "Pfotenhauer, Emily K - WHS" <Emily.Pfotenhauer@wisconsinhistory.org> Date: Fri, 3 Sep 2010 10:49:52 -0500 Subject: RE: Questions about Blogs Message-ID: <488E289A5C909049B0E55F6B651B5B3501E8E1BBCD70@MEWMAD0PC01G02.accounts.wistate.us>
Hi Sara,
I have been using Wordpress.com for a blog for the past couple of years, an
d like it quite a bit. It's free and pretty easy to use. I use it to share
photos and info about my site visits and research (http://wisconsinobject.w
ordpress.com) I don't get a huge number of hits, but there have been severa
l interesting conversations generated in the comments.
Wordpress blogs do show up in Google and I think that's one of the main way
s people have found my blog. In fact, Wordpress tracks the "search engine t
erms" that brought people to the blog, which can be very interesting (and s
urprising!)
Hope that helps.
Emily
Emily Pfotenhauer
Project Coordinator, Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database
Wisconsin Historical Society
816 State Street Room 229
Madison, WI 53706
608-264-6526
emily.pfotenhauer@wisconsinhistory.org
http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/decorativearts
Collecting, Preserving and Sharing Stories Since 1846
________________________________________
From: localhistory-request@listserve.uwec.edu [ [localhistory-request@listser
ve.uwec.edu] On Behalf Of sara steele [smsteele@wisc.edu]
Sent: Thursday, September 02, 2010 2:27 PM
To: localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu
Subject: Questionis about Blogs
Hi
Which Historical Societies are using blogs? I have the same questions that
Jarrod has about FaceBook but am several months behind and am just consid
ering doing some informal blogging perhaps as a means of sharing some of th
e photos in our photo collection and some of my views of the difference bet
ween collecting photos as visual records and accepting them like other muse
um items.
We currently share our photos to illustrate text in specific-topics report
s which run about 50 pages and are run by a printer--often with color cover
s--extemely reasonable costwise. We do not have a website.
In addition to Jarrod's questions, I'd love to have help from an individaul
who rememers how they got a site and got started with a blog.
Indivduals or societies who use all three can be helpful in sharing compari
sons in terms of roles and uses.
Another question, sort of like Jerrod's last one is how do people locate a
blog? Do they show up when you google?
Thank you!
History of image production
On a different subject a descendent of the man who built the first house in
Cottage Grove in 1841 has sent a photo of the man. She also has emailed m
e a quick history of periods different techniques were used. If she is wil
ling, would you like me to post her message? I had asked how glass plates
fit chronologically with tintypes. I am not sure I understand her reply in
that glass was used in both of the techniques before tintypes came along i
n the 1850s.
Sara Steele
Text Archivist
Cottage Grove Area Historical Society
----- Original Message -----
From: Monroe County Local History Room<mailto:mclhr@centurytel.net>
To: localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu<mailto:localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2010 3:49 PM
Subject: Facebook: necessary evil or PR godsend?
Hello everyone.
Our museum does not currently have a Facebook presence but we’re looking
into it. I know little of Facebook and have trepidation about starting up
without knowing more about how effective this format has been for small his
torical societies and museums for networking. I was wondering if I could a
sk those of you who operate Facebook accounts for your historical organizat
ion some questions?
--what do you wish you knew when you first started your Facebook page that
you know now?
--what tips could you share to make an organization’s Facebook page succe
ssful and worthwhile?
--what warnings would you share?
--how much time do you (should you) devote to maintaining your Facebook pag
e? How often do you post stuff? I guess I’m concerned about the time com
mitment.
--do you find that genealogists appreciate and use it to share/communicate
info about family history? Does it work as a listserv?
Thanks!
Jarrod M. Roll
Director - County Historian
Monroe County Local History Room & Museum
200 West Main St.
Sparta, WI 54656
608-269-8680
www.MCLHR.org