I agree with many of the things others have said. A piece of writing published on a website is very likely the property of the original author (on many sites) or of the site owner (on others). So legal clearances are definitely in order.
But more to the point, writings on websites are much more akin to written statements - in fact, they are written statements - than oral history interviews. The author remains in control of the scope of the narrative at all times. I think that because a respondent has time to read the question, consider the response in solitude, and plan the response, it's more likely to be "literary" in nature - that it will be crafted as a piece of writing more than an oral history interview response is. Yes, people can embroider in either form, but when telling stories in words we shape stories as writers do. They are more produced and massaged pieces of material.
That doesn't mean they're not wonderful. Some of the best writing I read, and some of the best historical reminiscence, is user-contributed content on the web. However, I think we are best treating that sort of content as written work, citing and incorporating it no differently than you would excerpts from a magazine article or newspaper column that people had contributed reminiscences to. It's fascinating stuff but also original written work to which you don't hold the use agreement.
-----Original Message-----
From: linden roberts [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, April 13, 2009 8:03 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: The new oral history?
--Boundary_(ID_9CEWPRELW3oEVmnqOhUweQ)
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Attached is the website for Reel Lives. I think this is similar to
the sort of oral history that you are considering.
http://www.reel-lives.com/
Linden Roberts
Lake Geneva
Wisconsin
Linden Roberts LLC
[log in to unmask]
On Apr 13, 2009, at 6:46 PM, Shana West wrote:
> I doubt these could be considered as the ip of the webpage--they
> would still belong to their respective owners. And I think that
> people can be more likely to exaggerate online because of
> anonymity. There is usually no one who knows them to check their
> embellishments.
> I think that collecting such stories from local people would be
> more relevant to your audience, and maybe the boasting is part of
> the fun :)
> Shana
>
> On Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 7:22 PM, Louisa Watrous
> <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Can you share the website? It sounds interesting, thanks!
> Louisa Watrous
> Mystic, CT
>
> From: Timothy McShane <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Monday, April 13, 2009 4:14:02 PM
> Subject: [MUSEUM-L] The new oral history?
>
> I was researching a particular artefact on-line last week (a toy--
> specifically, trying to identify a toy rolling pin as one that may
> have been an accessory for and Easy Bake Oven), and came across a
> website where people were submitting their memories of their
> childhood toys. There were some really good first-person accounts
> there; material that would make compelling additions to an upcoming
> exhibit we have in the works. I initially dismissed the
> possibility of using any of it, though, thinking it's too bad that
> material didn't come from a "legitimate" source. Over the weekend,
> though, I got to reconsidering--are these reminiscences really that
> much different from traditional oral history? Granted, there's no
> way to ask follow-up questions to elicit further detail, and the
> site's user names essentially makes the contributors anonymous--but
> does that have an impact on the usefulness of the information in an
> exhibit? Sure, there's no way to verify the accuracy/truthfulness
> of the stories, but there often isn't any way to verify oral
> histories, either. I'm further inclined to think that, due to the
> anonymous nature of the submissions, that the people making them
> would be even less inclined to "embroider" their recollections, as
> they really stand to gain nothing from it.
>
> Has anyone used such on-line material as first-hand accounts in
> exhibits? I'd be inclined to think the material is copyrighted by
> the web page, but is there any argument to be made that the
> individuals, by submitting these stories to such a "public" space,
> are in fact making their stories public domain?
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> Tim McShane, Assistant--Cultural History
> Esplanade Museum
> 401 First Street SE
> Medicine Hat, AB T1A 8W2
> Tel: (403) 502-8587
> [log in to unmask]
>
> Disclaimer: The information transmitted is intended only for the
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> --
> Shana West
>
> Master of Arts, Museology
> University of Washington
> [log in to unmask]
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Content-type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable
<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">
Attached is the website for Reel Lives. I think this is similar to the =
sort of oral history that you are considering.<div><br></div><div><a =
href=3D"http://www.reel-lives.com">http://www.reel-lives.com</a>/</div><di=
v><br></div><div>Linden Roberts</div><div>Lake =
Geneva</div><div>Wisconsin</div><div><br></div><div><br><div> <span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; =
border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; =
font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: =
normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; =
-khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; =
-apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; =
white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><div>Linden Roberts =
LLC</div><div><a =
href=3D"mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]</a></div><div><b=
r class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"></span> </div><br><div><div>On Apr =
13, 2009, at 6:46 PM, Shana West wrote:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite">I doubt =
these could be considered as the ip of the webpage--they would still =
belong to their respective owners. And I think that people can be more =
likely to exaggerate online because of anonymity. There is usually no =
one who knows them to check their embellishments.<br> I think that =
collecting such stories from local people would be more relevant to your =
audience, and maybe the boasting is part of the fun =
:)<br>Shana<br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at =
7:22 PM, Louisa Watrous <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a =
href=3D"mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]</a>></span> =
wrote:<br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"border-left: 1px =
solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: =
1ex;"><div><div style=3D"font-family: times new roman,new =
york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div>Can you share the website? It =
sounds interesting, thanks!</div> <div>Louisa Watrous</div> <div>Mystic, =
CT<br></div> <div style=3D"font-size: 12pt; font-family: times new =
roman,new york,times,serif;"><br> <div style=3D"font-size: 12pt; =
font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif;"><font face=3D"Tahoma" =
size=3D"2"> <hr size=3D"1"> <b><span style=3D"font-weight: =
bold;">From:</span></b> Timothy McShane <<a =
href=3D"mailto:[log in to unmask]" =
target=3D"_blank">[log in to unmask]</a>><br><b><span =
style=3D"font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> <a =
href=3D"mailto:[log in to unmask]" =
target=3D"_blank">[log in to unmask]</a><br> <b><span =
style=3D"font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Monday, April 13, 2009 =
4:14:02 PM<br><b><span style=3D"font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> =
[MUSEUM-L] The new oral history?<br></font><br> <div>I was researching a =
particular artefact on-line last week (a toy--specifically, trying to =
identify a toy rolling pin as one that may have been an accessory for =
and Easy Bake Oven), and came across a website where people were =
submitting their memories of their childhood toys.=A0 There were some =
really good first-person accounts there; material that would make =
compelling additions to an upcoming exhibit we have in the works.=A0 I =
initially dismissed the possibility of using any of it, though, thinking =
it's too bad that material didn't come from a "legitimate" source.=A0 =
Over the weekend, though, I got to reconsidering--are these =
reminiscences really that much=A0different from traditional oral =
history?=A0 Granted, there's no way to ask follow-up questions to elicit =
further detail, and the site's user names essentially makes the =
contributors anonymous--but does that have an impact on the usefulness =
of the information in an exhibit?=A0 Sure, there's no way to verify the =
accuracy/truthfulness=A0of the stories, but there often isn't any way to =
verify oral histories, either.=A0 I'm further inclined to think that, =
due to the anonymous nature of the submissions, that the people making =
them would be even less inclined to "embroider" their recollections,=A0as =
they really stand to gain nothing from it.</div> <div>=A0</div> <div>Has =
anyone used such on-line material as first-hand accounts in exhibits?=A0 =
I'd be inclined to think the material is copyrighted by the web page, =
but is there any argument to be made that the individuals, by submitting =
these stories to such a "public" space, are in fact making their stories =
public domain?</div> <div>=A0</div> <div>=A0</div> <div>=A0</div> <div> =
<div>------------------------------------------------------------<br>Tim =
McShane, Assistant--Cultural History</div> <div>Esplanade Museum<br>401 =
First Street SE<br>Medicine Hat, AB=A0=A0 T1A 8W2<br>Tel: (403) =
502-8587<br><a href=3D"mailto:[log in to unmask]" =
target=3D"_blank">[log in to unmask]</a></div></div><br>Disclaimer: =
The information transmitted is intended only for the <br> addressee and =
may contain confidential, proprietary and/or privileged <br>material. =
Any unauthorized review, distribution or other use of or<br>the taking =
of any action in reliance upon this information is<br>prohibited.. If =
you received this in error, please contact the sender<br> and delete or =
destroy this message and any =
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