Capturing the [British] digital universe
May 7, 2013 6:37 PM Subscribe
100 websites: "To mark the beginning of an ambitious attempt to archive the entire British internet, librarians from across Britain put their heads together to select the most seminal websites of the twenty-teens. Experts from the British Library, the National Library of Scotland, the National Library of Wales, Bodleian Libraries, Cambridge University Library and Trinity College Dublin chose high-street stores, hyper-hyper-hyper local blogs and niche interest webpages as must-reads for tomorrow's children."
via The Register, which points out that the list includes the Unst bus shelter website, Shit London, Chavtowns, Transport for London, a page for young Welsh farmers, as well as the predictable choices like BBC, Facebook, the NHS and the Old Baily online.
via The Register, which points out that the list includes the Unst bus shelter website, Shit London, Chavtowns, Transport for London, a page for young Welsh farmers, as well as the predictable choices like BBC, Facebook, the NHS and the Old Baily online.
librarians from across Britain put their heads together to select the most seminal websites of the twenty-teens.
I think we have quite enough "seminal" websites, thank you. Some less seminal websites would be a welcome change.
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:00 PM on May 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
I think we have quite enough "seminal" websites, thank you. Some less seminal websites would be a welcome change.
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:00 PM on May 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
It'd be more interesting, at this point, to see a website describing the dozen or so British towns that *aren't* chavtowns.
posted by Flashman at 7:17 PM on May 7, 2013
posted by Flashman at 7:17 PM on May 7, 2013
It's one of my life goals to visit Unst.
posted by Chrysostom at 9:46 PM on May 7, 2013
posted by Chrysostom at 9:46 PM on May 7, 2013
Trinity College Dublin? IRISH and British websites, in that case.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 11:42 PM on May 7, 2013
posted by GallonOfAlan at 11:42 PM on May 7, 2013
Trinity College Dublin? IRISH and British websites, in that case.
A quick Google suggests it's more interesting than simple majoritarian naming conventions: Trinity College is a "Legal deposit libraries", entitled to request a free copy of anything published in the UK, and this action is part of a change in UK law: the Dublin library gets to make legal copies of the .uk domain British sites, although it is an institution in the Republic of Ireland. So it's one of these "separate states with shared lives" situations that are a sign of good neighbours. Hooray! We need more of these.
I'd love someone who is a British or Irish librarian to tell us more about this system. Can the Dublin library request Irish publications? Can the London one?
posted by alasdair at 1:50 AM on May 8, 2013
A quick Google suggests it's more interesting than simple majoritarian naming conventions: Trinity College is a "Legal deposit libraries", entitled to request a free copy of anything published in the UK, and this action is part of a change in UK law: the Dublin library gets to make legal copies of the .uk domain British sites, although it is an institution in the Republic of Ireland. So it's one of these "separate states with shared lives" situations that are a sign of good neighbours. Hooray! We need more of these.
I'd love someone who is a British or Irish librarian to tell us more about this system. Can the Dublin library request Irish publications? Can the London one?
posted by alasdair at 1:50 AM on May 8, 2013
It's one of my life goals to visit Unst.
It's a fantastic place, well worth the effort it takes to get to it, and not just for the bus shelter.
posted by Coobeastie at 2:35 AM on May 8, 2013
It's a fantastic place, well worth the effort it takes to get to it, and not just for the bus shelter.
posted by Coobeastie at 2:35 AM on May 8, 2013
What's this? A curated list of extended-Brit sites that doesn't lead off with entrances2hell, The constantly updated catalogue of entrances to Hell in and around the UK? I just don't even.
Bill Masheen (Nr Keswick, Cumbria)
As the Battle of Epping Forest neared its climax, Winston Churchill seized a unique opportunity and actually managed to capture the devil with his bare hands. In the frantic struggle to escape, the devil bit off his own left arm before returning in a great fury to his underworld home via Bill Masheen. While he waited for the missing limb to grow back Satan made numerous phone calls to the British Government in a vain attempt to seek compensation.
Hausvog (No fixed location)
Close your eyes, count to 10, open them and Hausvog, will have vanished from your view. This is a hyper-mobile, meaning that this entrance is permanently travelling up and down the UK (seen here moving through Doncaster at a speed of approx 30 knots). Hausvog can be programmed to follow the devil and circle in his proximity.
Camexoti (Margate, Kent)
Camexoti is used for sending out legions of bad children who will swarm into schools all over the UK to promote violence, dishonesty and vandalism amongst the regular pupils. Protected by the red angel Dashkarram (who has much firepower) Camexoti has caused centuries of worry for the monks of Bersgedd Minor who will always be unable to locate this place because of mnemonic distortions. Peter D'Lurio invented Drum and Bass here.
23 (Darlington, Co Durham)
Reserved specifically for use in wartime, 23 can be submerged in three seconds and has barriers of thick steel in the approach corridors. Since mediaeval times the monks of Bersgedd Minor have focussed their assaults on the devil mainly here at 23, except during heavy rain, when they would prefer to attack the much less important Little Elwick. 23's tunnels to the Core have never been mapped, even by The Rice-Makers Dictatum.
Oilyn (Enfield, North London)
Although it is an extremely exhausting process, his ability to swim through soil means that the devil will, on occasion, create temporary entrances. These will eventually be filled in by the local County Council but they can be a source of harmful mantle-gas. This example was named Oilyn by the investigating police officers after the former Prime Minister.
Goliak (Bridlington, Yorkshire)
Goliak seems to fade. It is used for sucking in any 20 year old human male who has purchased an unfashionable bicycle.
posted by jfuller at 7:38 AM on May 8, 2013 [5 favorites]
Bill Masheen (Nr Keswick, Cumbria)
As the Battle of Epping Forest neared its climax, Winston Churchill seized a unique opportunity and actually managed to capture the devil with his bare hands. In the frantic struggle to escape, the devil bit off his own left arm before returning in a great fury to his underworld home via Bill Masheen. While he waited for the missing limb to grow back Satan made numerous phone calls to the British Government in a vain attempt to seek compensation.
Hausvog (No fixed location)
Close your eyes, count to 10, open them and Hausvog, will have vanished from your view. This is a hyper-mobile, meaning that this entrance is permanently travelling up and down the UK (seen here moving through Doncaster at a speed of approx 30 knots). Hausvog can be programmed to follow the devil and circle in his proximity.
Camexoti (Margate, Kent)
Camexoti is used for sending out legions of bad children who will swarm into schools all over the UK to promote violence, dishonesty and vandalism amongst the regular pupils. Protected by the red angel Dashkarram (who has much firepower) Camexoti has caused centuries of worry for the monks of Bersgedd Minor who will always be unable to locate this place because of mnemonic distortions. Peter D'Lurio invented Drum and Bass here.
23 (Darlington, Co Durham)
Reserved specifically for use in wartime, 23 can be submerged in three seconds and has barriers of thick steel in the approach corridors. Since mediaeval times the monks of Bersgedd Minor have focussed their assaults on the devil mainly here at 23, except during heavy rain, when they would prefer to attack the much less important Little Elwick. 23's tunnels to the Core have never been mapped, even by The Rice-Makers Dictatum.
Oilyn (Enfield, North London)
Although it is an extremely exhausting process, his ability to swim through soil means that the devil will, on occasion, create temporary entrances. These will eventually be filled in by the local County Council but they can be a source of harmful mantle-gas. This example was named Oilyn by the investigating police officers after the former Prime Minister.
Goliak (Bridlington, Yorkshire)
Goliak seems to fade. It is used for sucking in any 20 year old human male who has purchased an unfashionable bicycle.
posted by jfuller at 7:38 AM on May 8, 2013 [5 favorites]
« Older Delaware Legalizes Gay Marriage! | Being the Adventures of Two Young Engineers in... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by Foci for Analysis at 6:57 PM on May 7, 2013