I’m hoping to spend some time talking about mechanisms for transforming peer review practices and understandings via open social publishing systems. In October 2009, I published a draft of my book, Planned Obsolescence, online for open review. The process has been extremely productive, and I’ve gotten a lot of great feedback, but it’s left me with three key questions about how to transform something like CommentPress into a viable mode of open peer review:

(1) How do we create the drive within communities of practice to participate in these reviews? I’m still amazed how many people contributed to mine, but it took a good bit of strategic planning (which is to say, begging and pleading) at the outset.

(2) How can we ensure that the reviews we’re getting through a system like CommentPress don’t lose the real strengths of conventional peer reviews — the ability of a reviewer to think synthetically about the text as a whole? There’s at least the potential in a fine-grained commenting system of losing the forest in the trees.

(3) What kinds of technological or social additions can we imagine to such a system that might help persuade review committees, publishers, provosts, etc., of the value of open review?

No doubt there are more issues as well. I’ll look forward to talking with you all there.

Over the last year or so a few various people have asked me about how I got into hacking on and writing code. I’d love to get a bunch of people together at various levels of experience and interest in writing code — from never having written a single line on up — to talk about the hows and whys. Could be a workshop, could be a general discussion, could be anything. Maybe even a live-coding session (which I think would be super-fun)

I think that something around getting started writing code could be really interesting, especially in terms of teasing out ideas of what, with apologies to @digitalhumanist, a “Digital Humanist” is. Does a digital humanist need to write code? Work closely with someone who writes code? Is the coder also a digital humanist? Know enough not to panic when they see code?

That’d be an approach more toward discussion. Something more workshoppy  could look at code basics, or could have a series of etudes in developing code that solves particular problems. Sort of a hacking basic training.

Thanks…can’t wait to hear about all the ideas from you all!

We’ve been discussing what to call our THATCamp that will distinguish it just enough but not too much from the THATCamps that are springing up around the world, but we haven’t been able to settle on just the right name. On t-shirts and on our website, we’re sticking with plain THATCamp, but we could use your help in choosing a unique name for the times when it’s necessary. You can pick as many as you like below or you can write in another option — thanks for the help, hive mind.

As announced earlier today, the Center for History and New Media has just received a very generous grant from the Mellon foundation to support the ever-increasing number of regional THATCamps. I’m more than pleased to join CHNM as the Regional THATCamp Coordinator — “thrilled” is closer to the mark.

I wanted to take this opportunity to point out that we’ve put up a very sketchy first draft of guidelines on how to host your own THATCamp. In the coming weeks I’ll be gathering much more information on that head and greatly expanding and revising that and other support documents, but for now I’d more than appreciate it if you’d add your comments to this post with suggestions for holding a successful THATCamp. I’ve already gotten a few ideas from the loyal band of Twitterers who almost make every day a THATCamp; for instance, Bethany Nowviskie of the University of Virginia Scholars’ Lab mentioned that Great Lakes THATCamp “set aside Rooms of Requirement for random/needful impromptu convo w/whomever showed.” (Bethany earns extra points for the Harry Potter reference.) Kudos to Ethan Watrall and the other Great Lakers (?) for that and, I’m sure, many other terrific innovations. I’ll do my best to gather and document all the great ideas; some kind of wiki may well be forthcoming (you’ve been warned).

I also wanted to draw special attention to the fact that Mellon’s kind assistance means that graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and pre-tenure scholars will now be eligible for micro-fellowships of $500 that will enable them to pay travel costs for attending what we’re calling “BootCamp,” a day of digital methods training that will take place in conjunction with the regional THATCamps (though not “THATCamp Prime” in Fairfax). THATCamps are very inexpensive to organize and to attend compared to most conferences, but travel expenses can be a serious burden for junior scholars and graduate students. These micro-fellowships will help introduce new and emerging scholars to digital methods, not to mention to the lively digital humanities community, which is something I for one am all in favor of.

Finally, let me urge you to write me at if you’re even slightly interested in hosting or attending a THATCamp in your area. THATCamps keep sprouting up like mushrooms after a rain, and in addition to the seven regional THATCamps that have already been held or planned, THATCamps are or might be taking shape in the following places:

• Canberra, Australia
• Florence, Italy
• Toronto, Canada
• New England
• Florida
• New York
• New Jersey
• Georgia

We’re just getting started, but it’s looking like it’s going to be a great couple of years.

And one more thing: you may indeed call me THATgirl. 🙂

Following successful home events in 2008 and 2009, and regional events around the world, the Center for History and New Media is pleased to announce the return of THATCamp for 2010! We’ll have the third annual THATCamp May 22-23, 2010, at the home of CHNM, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia.

THATCamp is, as the about page explains, “The Humanities and Technology Camp,” a user-generated “unconference” on digital humanities. The conference program is more-or-less made the day of the conference, and organized based on attendee interest. An unconference is not a spectator event. Participants at THATCamp  are expected to present their work, share their knowledge, and actively collaborate with fellow participants rather than simply attend or passively observe.

THATCamp is of course open to anyone with energy and an interest in digital humanities: scholars, students, teachers, librarians, archivists, museum professionals, educational technologists, designers, developers, hackers, public historians, artists, writers, humanities administrators, grant makers, and more.

As to what you should present about, that’s up to you! Sessions at THATCamp will range from software demos to training sessions to discussions of research findings to half-baked rants (but please no full-blown papers; we’re not here to read or be read to.) You should come to THATCamp with something in mind, and on the first day we’ll find a time, a place, and people for you to share it with. Once you’re at THATCamp, you may also find people with similar topics and interests to team up with for a joint session.

Unfortunately, we only have space for about 100 participants, so we’ll have to do some vetting. To apply for a spot, simply fill out the THATCamp registration form telling us a little about yourself, what you’re thinking about presenting, and what you think you will get out of the experience. Please don’t send full proposals. We’re talking about an informal note of maybe 200 or 300 words, max. To apply, please fill out the application form, which includes fields for a brief biography and the topic you’d like to present or discuss. Deadline for applications is March 15. There are no application or registration fees for THATCamp, but donations for snacks and soda are very much appreciated.

So what are you waiting for? Go apply!