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Thursday, April 7, 2011

3rd exciting episode of "student writer at work"

Many of our photographs come to us with no information. No title, no description, no names of individuals, no dates, nothing. One of our jobs is to make up titles and descriptions and try to find names and dates if possible, so that they can be indexed correctly in our database. This basic information is called metadata (loosely translated; data and data). We're all fancy and official like that. 

More often than not we train students how to do the basic metadata. That includes title, description, names (if possible) and dates (if possible). Most take this job seriously because, believe it or not it is pretty serious business. This metadata gets passed along for the life of the photograph. If this photograph is still in exsistance (and it's my job to make sure that it is, no pressure now) the titles and descriptions we give them now will be what they will be in the future. See why we have to take it seriously? 

I must not have made this fact clear to student writer though because never in the history of our student workers has one been more creative, humorous, and snarky than the one that did our KUHT project. He is awesome! And has provided me with blog fodder for several weeks. He also caused us 3 extra days work but I'm calling it worth it.


Title: In Deep Thought
Description: Two African American men in deep thoughts.
How does he know that these men were thinking Deep Thoughts? They might have been discussing their lunch order. I can't believe I just said that lunch didn't require deep thoughts. I love lunch. I love food.

 Title: An Oriental Touch
Description:  KUHT spicing up its programming with some Japanese performers.
I'm speechless. You guys got anything?


 Title: Open Discussions
Description:  Three men in open discussion about something in particular.
Vague much?


Title: With Age comes Wisdom
Description: An man in his later years posing for a nice shot.
Um...yeah, not sure this is what I was looking for. I blame myself. 


 Title: Snoozing Along
Description: A young student dressed in her pajamas taking a little snooze.
My first thoughts were: are those prison issue cowboy boots? Is it any wonder crackerjack student came up with the titles that he did. I should blame myself. Than again I might have thought it but I didn't write it down. 
  

Weren't those fun. I've got a million of them. Okay, not a million... 328 to be exact. 
Did you miss the other episodes? They are here and here. Enjoy!

Have you got suggestions for alternative titles for any of these? 

Love,
M



14 comments:

  1. How do you prevent the Throne Room that Evans defined at Knossos. Which lead onto palace then King and so on. All due to finding a big chair in a room. Ditto at the iron age Maiden Castle. Send an archaeologist that's a soldier by training then you shouldn't be shocked that you spend the next 120 years destroying the theses that a rampart equals defense.

    How the heck do people get this to link tidily.

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  2. These are becoming some of my favorite posts, mostly because it makes me wonder if I was quite that lame in my early 20s.

    I'm speechless over the "oriental" thing, too. Sorry.

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  3. I kind of get the impression that the girl in the last photo is ready for anything that might come along. Anything.

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  4. Are you all checking what's in "student writer" 's cup every morning? I can almost guarantee it's not water.

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  5. Wow that is talent. You can hire me if you have extra work... I would have said:

    Title: Constipation
    Description: Easing constipation is better in pairs.

    Title: Asian Drag
    Description: A little Asian girl gets a surprise from her Sensei.

    Title: MTA Meetings
    Description: Organizing Mass Transit on a couple of beers.

    This is a fun game. I could do it all day. Thanks!

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  6. Knight: I spewed my diet coke. Your titles are great!

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  7. Under the "Oriental Touch" photo I simply would have written "Godziraaaaaaaa!"

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  8. In that first one, they could have just been ogling some hot chick who walked by!

    That kid's descriptions are so ridiculous!

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  9. Umm, where I work? Those would be grounds for dismissal...unless it's just on the copy that you printed out to put on your cubicle wall. Archivists and historians have a suprisingly little senses of humor about metadata.

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  10. This one is my favorite- Three men in open discussion about something in particular.


    It's so silly! Thanks for the humor this morning.

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  11. My fave is the guy posing for the "nice shot" and the guys discussing "something in particular". Hysterical. Hey, I left one of those silly awards for you today. Try not to think of it as a chain letter. XO

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  12. I don't know why, but I find the last picture quite amusing. Cheers Michele!!

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  13. LOLing at Knight. And yes, the "something in particular"...definitely makes me want to do further research. Too funny.

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  14. I feel a certain kinship with your student writer. These are almost exactly what I would have written.

    Um...maybe not the Oriental one.

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