For thousands of years, historians have only been able to rely on other historians, many tainted with political bias, to tell the real story of our past.  Yes, there have been personal letters, paintings, and other attempts to document the real story; but these findings are so rare- it is hard to think of them as anything other than an exquisite gem nestled deep within the gigantic picture.  It is absolutely true that historians have made miraculous discoveries with their extensive research- but can you imagine what we would know if they had access to the tools we have today?

What would bloggers have said about the Great Depression?  World War II? Nazi Germany? The Civil War?  The Inauguration of FDR?  JFK?  What would we have learned if regular people from all over the world had the ability and the freedom to post their thoughts and their images captured on their cameras?  Can you imagine if we could experience Woodstock through You Tube?  By participating in social media-we are fulfilling a need to distribute and consume immediate information.  But just think- we are also contributing to the resources that will one day be used to educate future generations on our history.