When I wrote my first real diary last week, I realized that I spent a lot of time searching for information and sourcing it. Even though I had previously read that very information on the blogs I frequent, the lack of having it organized and available for reference made writing the diary a longer process than necessary.
With the DSM starting to get traction, many people will be writing diaries about the fixing of the evidence and will need the research to back up their assertions. So I was thinking about doing a series of diaries to provide that research in an easily accessed format. These wouldn’t be exciting, breaking story, deep analysis kind of diaries but rather a source of information for those writing other exciting, breaking story, deep analysis kind of diaries.
The general format would be something like:
Brief Summary
Timeline
Facts
Administration Quotes
Quote
information known prior to statement
contradictory statements
Talking Points/Counter Talking Points
Audio/Visual
More Information/Links
Not only could we make diaries by issue, we could have them by person also (and cross reference). So if you are looking for Frist quotes, we could keep a diary of them so you could easily search it.
They would be a work in process, as I would add to the diaries as I find more information or as people post comments that include more information. I would also reorganize the information as needed. And others could make diaries of the same sort. Others, who like me, have no talent for writing but are good at the tedious and boring job of organizing and sorting information.
Before I went too far in the process I wanted to get other opinions, which seem to be hard to get on diary ideas. So please, if this idea sucks let me know.
Excellent idea…go for it!! Especially DSM stuff, mmmm and Bolton is big this week too!
I’ll second this.
It’s a great way to gather everything in one place, especially for those of us trying to inform friends/relatives as to what’s going on.
I’ll add my voice to those above.
I know for my own files, I’ve had a hard time trying to find the relevant reference articles for some piece I’m trying to write. It takes a lot of time to go back through the files searching, sometimes more time than the actual writing.
Your idea to designate a diary per topic or person, which includes the relevant links (and other info such as timelines) is a great idea.
A repository of sorts.
It sounds like a lot of work though. Where would you start?
O.
Liberal,you might want to check out yahoo group sites, we are using one such site to organize the team for the welcome wagon diaries. It is working really well with a place to store files, photos, chat, polls, calendar, etc. If you want to check out our site for Froggy Bottom, send me an email and I will reply with an invite and you can take a look around.
It seems to be a good way to coordinate these kinds of things.
And yes I think it is a good idea….
Thanks. I just recovered my password for the email address I use for politics (lost it in a cleaning frenzy). So I’ll send you an email later tonight.
I’ll also look into the blogger thing. Right now I’ve just been saving and bookmarking sites and writing up the post in word. Probably not the greatest system for it.
I just wanted to add that if you start a blog, free also with eblogger, you can add a feature called blog this(which gives you a tab link), and when you see something you want to save you just click the blog this button (highlight any text you want to include) and it transfers to a small blog screen and then you can either post to your blog or save to your blog to edit and post later.
I have been using that feature for some time now and it’s great, when you see an article or comment, anywhere, you just click blog this and you’ve got it. No muss no fuss…Complete with the link to the article or comment.
Hey Lady! Haven’t crossed your path in awhile, so I wanted to track you down to wish you a very good evening, and send you my wishes for the best of everything. I keep you in my daily thoughts of sunshine, positive energy and. . .yes. . .a little dash of snark ;^).
Good night!
* Anom *
I just happened to click on the site and saw Hey Diane, and there you were. I keep you in my thoughts as well,and think of you often. Goodnight and see you tomorrow.
Thanks to each of you for responding. Sometimes it’s just nice to run an idea past others to make sure it’s not just the low levels of medication talking. 😀
alohaleezy, unfortunately each diary will take time to get going and even longer to get to a good place. I say that because I wanted you to know that there is no way I’d have a Bolton and DSM diary done this week. Although for DSM georgia10’s site is FANTASTIC.
Thanks chocolate ink.
Cali Scribe, I hope it’ll be a reference for that as well as even for refuting letters to the editor and a million other uses.
olivia a lot of work indeed. Hopefully after I get going, decide on a format, work out the kinks and post a few diaries in process others will step forward to help. Obviously for me to do it all by myself would take years and possibly kill me. 😀
Today I started the first one on the Aluminum Tubes. And even though it seems simple it is taking a lot of time. I will probably try to post it and work on it through updates so people can give feedback as it goes.
After some of the diaries are far enough along they will actually make some other diaries easier. For example I’ll link to and use some of the info from the Aluminum Tubes diary on the Powell’s UN Presentation diary since it was a part of his presentation.
Thanks again everyone.
I believe there might be better database kind of software to handle this kind of solution.
Blogs are essentially linear, even with search functionalities.
For me, the crucial questions are the basic journalistic ones of who what where when and how. The ‘array’ type of database can best provide the answers to research of this kind – especially in present circumstances where timelines can reveal so much.
I agree this isn’t the ideal system, but as a perfectionist working to reform my wait for the perfect system ways, I think it’s better that I use this system that I already have. Yes it won’t be ideal for cross reference or searching, but it will still be helpful. And thanks to comments others can provide links and information which can then be incorporated into the original diary.
If later, someone wants to take that information and put it into a different format then they will have a great starting point.
You are right of course, I just hope we can inspire someone to do the job…
Great idea, Liberalpalooza, something like this is so needed. Me, I’m not at all good with the details of things, so it helps to have things right at your fingertips.
If you are looking for a space and ways of categorizing things and having it all handy and all that, I could probably set you up with something easily, as an add on, but separate.. a research section type area/blog thingy. I was going to do something like that anyway, one of these days ;). . Drop me an email (my address is attached) if you wish.