Make History ...

The idea here is quite simple. For your website you can document some history that you are interested in.

A good place to start your site creation is by developing a page of relevant links. Chances are you probably already have some good links in your browser's favorites/bookmarks. Searching for more relevant links now will help you see what information is already out there. Note both what info is readily available and what is lacking. Over time you can continue to add to your links page. One way you can enhance your links page is annotate each link with a brief comments on what relevant info can be found at the linked site.

It is also a good idea right at the start of your project to create a bibliography page that identifies your references. You can add to the page with new references as your research proceeds. It allows visitors to see your sources and it can become a useful resource to them. Encourage them to recommend other useful sources that they believe would be of interest to you.

You must decide what your initial focus is to be. For instance: are you going to document the history of the entire Korean conflict or focus on intelligence operations during that war. In any case it is probably a good idea to write a brief outline of the project. Think of it as an exercise in naming relevant chapters if you were planning a book. This outline can form the basis of how you will organize information on your site.

I believe it is entirely appropriate for this kind of site to be a work in progress. Allow your visitors to see and comment on your process. You can put the outline onto your site as the different sections that you'll then proceed to fill in over time with your research. Certainly those section headings can evolve as your research proceeds. Likewise you can proceed directly to filling in the materials you already know - gaps and all. You can over time come back and rewrite, edit, or add to what you initially wrote. I encourage you to include in each section the questions you have and note what you want to explore. It could almost be like a to-do list. The idea here is that you openly communicate with you visitors what you're thinking.

You should try to make it as easy as possible for visitors to help you. Some might be able to answer a question or two that you've raised. Others might be able to steer you towards resources you'll find invaluable. Perhaps the best thing about creating this kind of website is you'll come in contact with others who share your interests. You'll learn from them as they will from you - just as the academics who originally developed the internet had intended.

To get that kind of communication going you'll have to make some efforts at promoting your site. DesignStop.Com provides you some advice in that department. Check out my pages on marketing and promotion; you'll find useful information on how to bring interested visitors to your site. Find that advice here.

It is my hope that if studying history is your thing you'll seriously consider creating a website. Share your knowledge and insights with the internet community. I encourage you to add to the historical record.

PS - If you are interested in history you'll love this book. I can't recommend it enough - It will give you valuable insights into how we filter the past; insights essential to anyone studying or interested in the past. The name of the book is The Past Is A Foreign Country by David Lowenthal. I rate it ten stars.