One of the (many) reasons why I registered for this course was because, in addition to an interest in the digital humanities, I recognize that my technological skills are not where I wish them to be. Having said that, I wanted to create something that was clean and easy to navigate. I am not embarrassed to say that it took me quite a while to understand how to create and add things. I actually looked at a couple of Youtube videos to help guide me through some of the processes, such as how to add the pages to the home page. I hope that throughout the semester I will learn more tricks of the trade and feel more comfortable with creating and curating digital projects.
For my home page, I chose the title “HIS 6000 Introduction to Digital Humanities” because I wanted to make it clear that the website is part of a university course, and therefore a work in progress. I also added Wayne State University’s logo to make it clear that the site is associated with Wayne State.
I wanted to make sure I added personal touches to the main page, so I added information about my current studies as well as contact information towards the bottom, to make it known that the site welcomes online engagement.
Though it was not a requirement to add anything to the About page, I decided to post a brief biography of my academic background as well as the purpose of this site. Though uncharacteristic of myself to voluntarily do this, I also added a picture of myself for those who wish to put a face to the name and (future) posts on this website. In this way, I hope it shows my vulnerability and willingness to step out of my comfort zone, willing to engage in both the learning and unlearning processes required to grow. The other pages are currently blank and will be filled with information as the semester progresses.
As mentioned above, I added a short statement of purpose to inform site visitors that though this website was created for a university digital humanities course, its goal is to reach beyond that environment and function as a hub of diverse thought and analysis. It is my hope that this website is a conversation starter as well as a safe space to traverse new waters.
Amber Sophia 