okay intresting but how different is it gonna be from http://www.howstuffworks.com/

How stuff worked fossilolife.
The idea is similar but focusses on history.
Tommy

If I understand you correctly, you plan to make a hub of information on how things were done in the past. This is an amazing idea!

I would suggest adopting a wiki format and including how things are done today as well (despite the existence of How Stuff Works).

If you decide to go through with this idea (which I HIGHLY suggest), I would love to work on this with you. I will be visiting this idea often! =]

so how the pyramids were made?

how are u making money?

Money could be made through advertisements on the website. With the number of pages a sight like this would have, there should me no problem raising enough money to, at least, pay for hosting costs.

I'd read it.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/

^We are aware of HowStuffWorks.com
This idea is different because it is about how people used to do things before various technological advances.

Thank you Fitzpatrick, that is the difference.
You could see it as an arc of Noach, for skills and jobs.
Tommy

hmm...thn shoot

Vanhees: No problem. Perhaps you should reference the difference between your idea and HowStuffWorks.com in your idea. Doing so would help people understand what you are going for, without having to read all the comments.

Fitzpatrick,
the last sentence:

The difference with a lot of websites that are available is that it’s not about how do you do something but more about how was it done in the past. Almost like a recorded history celebrating the world’s progression

It sounds like a good idea to me!

Vanhees: I noticed the sentence, but I was suggesting you be more blunt because a couple of people were still posting comments about HowStuffWorks.com =]

I like it the learning part of it and historical part also.

I suggest you add information in multiple media; text, video, audio, etc.

If you need help... just ask

]V[oogy

This would be an intersting site and I would use it.

This would be a great reference site that I would use. It would be neat to see how people use to do the simple tasks in the old days. The only thing I can think of is how hard it would be to generate all those ideas. Would you have a user interface where anyone could edit and post topics, or would you generate them all?

^I'm not sure what Vanhees' stance on this is, but I would think the site content would be generated my a select group of people, while visitors/members of the site could suggest new topics.
...We'll see what Vanhees has to say =]

I see it as an online museum. I mean, that's one way it could go. You may even qualify for some kind of cultural grant if you do your homework.

It is very strongly related to the mission of many museums and heritage sites.

If I can help you with this please email me and perhaps I can make myself more clear.

You don't have to align with the pre-existing "cultural" world, of course, but if you choose to you may find a natural fit. Hope so, it's a cool idea.

Thanks for all the comments.

Fitzpatrick, I’ll follow your suggestion.

Jill, an online museum is the right word, this is meant to save all these old crafts and tools from oblivion. Of course a lot is written already in books, but this information is shattered.

About the content: actually that is a difficult part, because you have to interview mostly old people. It would be sheer impossible to generate all this information: so many people would have to contribute.

To have a selected group of people doing this would be a possibility to avoid to much babysitting of the site.

Tommy

How Stuff Works is one of the best sites on the internet. If you can do the same for a "History Channel-style" version, I'd check it out. In fact, see if you can get the History Channel to do this. They have the content expertise and contacts.

Make sure to include many different styles of media. You can have text, but make sure you include images, video and sounds clips and anything else you can think of! I'm sure you thought of this already, but I'm just making sure. =]

What about making this into a TV show... ?

Sort of already exists

http://www.pbs.org/wws/index.html

Ever seen the Woodwright's Work Shop?

He shows how to build all sorts of things by hand using basic tools or mechanized tools that have been around for centuries.

hmmm.... interesting.

hmmm... someone wants to live in the past. but its nice to know the history of something we are interested of especially when we think its something worth to invest with.

its nice to be exploring the history of the things that we want. One idea leads to another idea. That's where innovations starts. Is this the same with geograpy channel?

vanhees - howstuffworked.com is available and I suggest you go get it RIGHT NOW. 'How stuff works' could easily have this idea any second now, esp. now that we're talking about it (you know how that always seems to happen).

Nevermind I went ahead and registered it b/c I've been burned before waiting to buy a domain, and will gladly transfer it to you for whatever $15 is worth in cambros. Sorry if that's too much to pay for domain registration folks, or if I'm really stupid to pay b/c it's free somehow - I just went with the registrar I've always used.

This just gave me another idea which is some sort of domain registry system for CH ideas.

Anyway I think the idea is cool too, though I don't see why howstuffworks.com couldn't start putting up past 'stuff' as well, esp since they're already established, have the infrastructure, site traffic/fanbase, etc.
...everything except the domain name :)

I would use this site - often technical presentations are improved by outlining prorgress using a historical perspective. I see this as a big knowledge management site for processes. Good idea.

As Joyce alluded to, history repeats it self. "New" ideas are rare, a lot of the new ideas we see are just new paint on an old idea.

loveit

I would like to vote for Vanhees idea.

Watercooler

It seems to me like Wikipedia does essentially this for most things I'd be interested in knowing about.

Interesting idea and I would certainly visit the site. You might even get bought by HowStuffWorks.com. Reminds me a bit about a website that stores images of how other websites used to look - but your idea is of course far more interesting. Go for it.

In germany there is a TV-Format called Gallileo, that goes much into that direction. So I would try to get a link to TV-Makers. Anyhow there a lots of independent video-content providers popping up since youtube (e.g. Joost, Babelgum...) On the other hand what would people lead to contribute to yourwebsite instead of publishing on wikipedia?
If you really try to establish new website, think about how to get linked to museums. they might be one of your main promoters to get known.

I think techguy has a point that it can be done partly like a Wikipedia, but this site should provide more.
I think a lot of people are very proud to show their mastering of old tools and skills to I'm not afraid about content.
What is interesting and ccozad triggered me here is to show the evolution of crafts, eding up in how stuff works.
Tommy

Thanks for all the comments by the way!!!!
T

It's the sort of information that would make for a good book (anyone remember what a book is?). Why not crowdsource the articles ala wikipedia style but then offered a hardcopy version?

Depending upon the style it's written in, this is the sort of book I could pick up and read in short stints.

Of course that does make me a very sad individual but at least I recognise that fact and that my attention span isn't what it used to be. :)

I like this idea. Generating (quality) content will be an issue, as has been suggested already, but it's not an insurmountable problem. Go to it!

Siddey,
I have indded a book at home that does something like this. I guess it unconsiously inspired me...
Tommy

vanhees, do you have an example of what you think your content would look like? does ccozad's post ( http://www.pbs.org/wws/index.html ) depict what you think your content would look like? I guess I'm looking for you to cite a specific article close to what you want, and say how an article on your site would be different. (Like in what ways could a how-it-was-done thing differ from how-to-do, and how might it be interesting?)

I thought the book idea was a good one. Until you said that one already exists.

I would like to point out that my comment about the PBS show was meant to say "someone else already does it, how can you do it better"

One problem I see about this initiative is that it requires "expert" commentary. (or at least commentary from people who know how to do things in an old way) Might be hard to ensure the quality and accuracy of the content.

And as Croaky referenced, the History Channel is a big factor. They show historical content 24/7. They already have the experts and audience following. For those who are not familiar with it, (because it is a US channel as far as I know) here is the link:

http://www.history.com/

and some content you would be in competition with....
http://www.history.com/media.do?mediaType=All&searchTerm=&action=search&showName=MODERN+MARVELS%3A
http://www.history.com/media.do?mediaType=All&searchTerm=&action=search&showName=Guts+%26+Bolts

So I don't know how you are going to top hours of existing video content.

Arg... it didn't like my links.

Go to history.com
and look at the video content for "Modern Marvels" and "Guts and Bolts"

Thanks ccozad.
I indeed didn't know about this channel but I don't thinks it's what I have in mind.
But you're right, like all these sites, the (quality if the) content is crucial!
Tommy

hmmm...am still adamant to give my 5 votes but as long as you can thrive better traffic this one is viable...though it seems more enticing to youth sector in doing their assingment or simply for everyone's curiosity.

Congratulations for the wire to wire lead btw!

5 stars i mean......

you got my 4 stars for now =)

Hope you make it and welcome to the weekly winners club!

Congrautlations Tommy...historically one achievement can be beaten by further achievement.

Goodluck!

Did you see that HowStuffWorks was acquired for $250 million by Discovery channel http://www.techcrunc...rks-for-250-million/ Maybe this idea could be acquired by the History channel one day.

This is a great idea. What did we do before the internet etc. What did we do??

I see that it has been a while, since the last post. However, I�'ve been playing around with the idea of a site, where people have to work out, how things work. Imagine a community, stranded on an island with all natural ressources but no technology. The task is to re-invent modern technology, i.e. a game of finding the way from chopping something with a stone to satelite tv. You could incorporate this in your site I guess.