Before Participatory Digital Heritage Had a Name: Web 2.0 in Natchitoches

For the last couple of years, the terms “web 2.0” and “social media” have been used for nearly anything new and interactive on the internet. Since the Natchitoches Preservation Network and sites like it integrate many basic social media tools, I’m taking a step back this week and defining the concept of social media and its potential to advance heritage preservation.

In technical terms, the social media phenomenon is a fusion of cross-platform technology, open-source web code and the interactive presentation of audio, photos, videos and text. But at its heart, it’s about empowering people to achieve goals through connection with others who share similar values, regardless of their location.

Community and Participation

Core to this connectedness is the idea of community and how it’s being redefined. For example, the Natchitoches Preservation Network is an online community based on shared love of Natchitoches heritage. You don’t have to have lots of money, a Ph.D., or be a credentialed preservationist to join. You don’t have to even live in Natchitoches, as evidenced by folks from both coasts who’ve joined simply because they value our town’s uniqueness and want to contribute to its preservation.

The accessible nature of social media tools, coupled with the relative anonymity of the web, levels the playing field for discussion. This takes away some of the fear of saying the wrong thing and allows people of many different backgrounds to interact as peers.

Social media comes in a variety of flavors. Some of these tools—like forums and message boards—you may already be familiar with. Others, like photo sharing (Flickr), video sharing (YouTube), wall posts (FaceBook), blogs (WordPress), music sharing (iTunes), and internet telephony (Skype), may be new.

When you visit the Natchitoches Preservation Network website, what you’re seeing is a form of social media called a “social network.” Essentially, it brings social media tools together on the same web page. The efficiency of social networks is leading to an explosion in their popularity. The combined worldwide user base of MySpace and FaceBook roughly equals the population of the United States.

A Different Relationship to Heritage

So how’s this different from the web we used to know? For one thing, you’re no longer just reading the company line. The web is now instantly interactive with the potential for infinite conversation on any given topic. It’s like the old gossip fence, except your neighbor is potentially anyone in the world.

What’s been the reason preservation and heritage issues have been so hard to communicate? It’s because they, like politics, are traditionally local. And while probably nothing will ever make you care who’s the state representative for Burning Moscow, Nev., you very well may throw in with an online group that is fired up about preserving the Old West mines there.

It’s the same with Natchitoches. Everyone who visits our town is captivated by it. Now imagine what would happen if every person who was passionate about southern plantations or Spanish colonization or small town culture was able to discover Natchitoches’ role in those interests—and interact with like-minded Natchitoches people—on the web? Visit www.natchitochespreservation.ning.com and make some of those discoveries on your own.