Texas A&M To Use Visualization Space To Archive Protest

A group of students and faculty at Texas A&M University livestreamed Rise Up!, a protest against mass incarceration taking place in New York City on Saturday, October 24. They will also create a digital archive of the event and corresponding social media communications with the goal of helping researchers study the role of social media in social movements.

The live stream took place at the Humanities Visualization Space in the university's Liberal Arts and Humanities (LAAH) building, according to a news release from the university. Participants used the space's video wall of fifteen high-definition screens to display the streaming video and monitor multiple social media outlets simultaneously, and they are using ideaMÂCHÉ software, developed by Texas A&M's Interface Ecology Lab, to create a historical archive of the event.

According to information on the ideaMÂCHÉ site, the software lets people collect, curate and annotate media from across the Web, along with any associated metadata such as the time of creation and place of publication. By aggregating the video of the event and associated social media information, the organizers hope to create a valuable source of information for researchers.

"We intend to collect and archive this data in order to give researchers the opportunity to engage digitally and in real time with the interaction between social media and contemporary social movements," said Liz Grumbach, a project manager at the university's Initiative for Digital Humanities, Media and Culture (IDHMC), in a prepared statement.

The organizers of the Texas A&M event plan are planning a follow-up hackfest for next semester. The hackfest is intended as an opportunity for researchers to study the archive of data collected during the Rise Up! event.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • From Fire TV to Signage Stick: University of Utah's Digital Signage Evolution

    Jake Sorensen, who oversees sponsorship and advertising and Student Media in Auxiliary Business Development at the University of Utah, has navigated the digital signage landscape for nearly 15 years. He was managing hundreds of devices on campus that were incompatible with digital signage requirements and needed a solution that was reliable and lowered labor costs. The Amazon Signage Stick, specifically engineered for digital signage applications, gave him the stability and design functionality the University of Utah needed, along with the assurance of long-term support.

  • cybersecurity analyst in a modern operations center monitors multiple digital screens showing padlock icons, graphs, and a global map with security markers

    Louisiana State University Doubles Down on Larger Student-Run SOC

    In an effort to provide students with increased access to real-world cybersecurity experience, Louisiana State University has expanded its relationship with cybersecurity solutions provider TekStream to launch TigerSOC, a new student-run security operations center.

  • flowing lines and geometric shapes representing data flow and analysis

    Complete College America Launches Center to Boost Data-Driven Student Success Strategies

    National nonprofit Complete College America (CCA) recently launched the Center for Leadership, Institutional Metrics, and Best Practices (CLIMB), with the goal of helping higher education institutions use data-driven strategies to improve student outcomes.

  • geometric pattern features abstract icons of a dollar sign, graduation cap, and document

    Maricopa Community Colleges Adopts Platform to Combat Student Application Fraud

    In an effort to secure its admissions and financial processes, Maricopa Community Colleges has partnered with A.M. Simpkins and Associates (AMSA) to implement the company's S.A.F.E (Student Application Fraudulent Examination) across the district's 10 institutions.