Howdy, it’s Dave here. I started this tumblelog to share info relating to a project I’ve been developing for a while; it’s called HistoryPlot. The website’s initial aim is modest: use pre-existing data about historical places and make it searchable based upon your address. You say “I live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC” and it responds “Mr. Obama, the swanky Blair House is around the corner, and your friends are all talking about Meridian Hill Park near Dave’s house. Check that out.” Replace Obama with your name, the White House with your own, and we’re in business. I’ve code-named it HPS — the historical positioning system.
So far I’ve tested HistoryPlot in San Francisco, Philly, New York, Rochester, and DC. It works well, but I’ve held back from launching it publicly until it can do more. My goal is to provide context for each of those historical places. OK, so there’s an Art Deco building down the street from me that is of historical significance.. can I see a photo of that building, or learn about its history? Why does it matter? That’s where you come in. The social features being developed allow users to connect photos and information to these places, either by providing links to photos to Flickr or Wikipedia, or by uploading something new. Users can also leave comments about places, and give them a thumbs up if they think it’s awesome.
What to expect from this tumblelog? I’ll give updates on the HistoryPlot project every few weeks, or whenever there’s news. If you’re interested in lending a hand to test it, drop me a line. Much more often, I’ll show off amazing photos and contributions from people like you.
And if you’re cool, you’ll reblog this. Cheers.
