A few months ago, almost as soon as we got this website ready to launch, we realized that it wouldn’t serve our needs long term. It’s taken awhile to figure out a path forward. I’ve been committed to the idea that there should be a institutionally-sponsored solution to institutionally-sponsored research. In addition, I value the sustainability and open access provided by an institutional context devoted to the production and preservation of many knowledge forms. Consulting with George Morris, director of Research Computing, we’ve learned that currently there is great support for large scale data-driven projects or for small scale blogging–but little in between. The scale of Remix lies squarely in this “messy middle”–where we need more than generic blog functions but don’t need a massive commitment to data crunching. Many projects coming out of Digital Humanities fit this description.
In the spirit of remix, we’re looking not only for a solution for our own project but for scalable models that can expand capacity for other projects. George is also looking for solutions that support faculty research while also meeting the security needs of the broader computing ecosystem across the institution. So, we’ve agreed to help each other experiment!
Remix is going to serve as a “test case” for Research Computing to demonstrate the solutions needed for this scale of DH research at Dartmouth. An existing model like OpenScholar might provide the right mix of flexibility and independent development. For now, our “proof of concept” case involves registering a new domain name and hosting a configurable WordPress instance on a virtual server through Research Computing. We’ll be able to edit themes, add research-oriented plugins like DH Press and Prospect, and set the conditions for hosting a wider range of code for future experiments.
Stay tuned for our new address!
