Open Source Shakespeare
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Open Source Shakespeare is a non-commercial web site allowing free access to searchable digital versions of the complete works of William Shakespeare. The site was created using Moby Shakespeare as the content source, volumes which were originally created from the 1864 Globe edition of the complete works.
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[edit] History
The idea for a online resource compiling Shakespeare's works was first conceived in 2001 by Eric M. Johnson, then working as a web designer and theatre reviewer for the Washington Times newspaper while pursuing a Masters degree at George Mason University.[1] In the process of looking up the source of Shakespearian quotes on the internet, Johnson was at that time surprised to learn that no single web resource allowed users to freely access a comprehensive collection of William Shakespeare's writings.[1]
"The ones that were comprehensive were not free, and the free ones were not comprehensive," Johnson recalled.[1]
Johnson set about to create just such a free and comprehensive digital collection as part of his graduate program, unveiled as the Open Source Shakespeare website in December 2003.[2] The site was formally announced to the scholarly community in February 2004.[2]
According to the site's founder, about 77,000 people made use to the resource in 2005, with a further 170,000 anticipated to visit the site in 2006.[2] Annual operating costs of the site are minimal and through 2006 the resource was paid out of pocket by the site's creator.[2] Subsequently a grant application has been made to the National Endowment for the Humanities by Johnson and three members of the English Department of George Mason University to provide funding for the project.[1]
[edit] Site structure
Shakespeare's works are divided on the site into three genres — plays, sonnets, and poems. The site also includes a concordance, search engine, and information about basic usage statistics.
The site has gained functionality over time, with a "Version 2.0" released in 2005 which added the capability for users to search for word stems or phonetically and to save and print search results.[3]
The site has also subsequently added user-generated content, a move which has gained critical support after a period of initial misgivings over potential security issues.[1] Site creator Johnson gave a presentation on his experiences in this regard to the 2008 Annual Convention of Wikipedia.[1]
In the middle of 2009 a version of the site designed for portable devices was unveiled, called Mobile Open Source Shakespeare.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g Art Taylor, "Alumnus Makes Shakespeare’s Works Easy to Search," George Mason University News, February 14, 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Call for Advisors: Open Source Shakespeare," SHAKSPER: The Global Electronic Shakespeare Conference," December 1, 2006.
- ^ Eric M. Johnson, "Open Source Shakespeare 2.0 Released," Catholic Light, March 7, 2005.
