[MassHistPres] Document with Historic District photos is online

[Lee Wright]

The document with your helpful photos that Chris compiled and sent around a
couple of days ago can be found online here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/3031803/Historic-District-signs-in-Massachusetts-c
ities-and-towns

You can add additional pictures and documents using this free service.  To
make them easy to find, make sure that they are added to the "Historic
Preservation" group, which is open to all.  Anyone can add a document or
picture on this or another subject, and there's the capability to easily
comment on documents and pictures.

It's all free and very simple to use, and includes the ability to download
these documents.


Background: 

Some of us have bemoaned the fact that while this mailing list generates a
lot of great content because of the large number of experienced,
knowledgeable participants, since it's limited to e-mail, it's a lot less
useful than it would be if we also used some of the other simple free or
nearly-free Web-based tools and resources.  And while the archives are
searchable, the search is pretty rudimentary and few people use it.
Moreover, detailed information is often exchanged in side conversations via
e-mail.  Weeks, months, or years later others raise a similar question and
the process begins again since we're not building a useful archive of the
discussions, documents, photos, and other content that we're sharing via
e-mail.

Scribd.com is not the solution to all of this, but it is a fast, free
resource that we can use now for things like documents and photos.  (Many
organizations, such as the SEC with 80,000+ documents on scribd, and
individuals use scribd.  In fact, you'll find a number of documents
associated with historic preservations organization there.)

I started the group "Historic Preservation" and uploaded the document
referenced above. 

The next time there is a similar need, if we so choose, we can simply upload
documents or photos directly to scribd.com and then send around a link to
the document.  Since the group is set up as a free public group, anyone can
contribute and comment, and in the future when you're looking for a
particular document that was mentioned in the list, rather than digging back
through your e-mail, you'll be able to easily find it online (assuming the
person uploaded it).


...........................................................................
Lee Wright

Trustee--Marlborough Historical Society
Commissioner--Marlborough Historical Commission
 
lee at leewright.net
+1 469-233-7712