What is "memoryshare"

Memoryshare is a user-generated web service hosted by the BBC's website, bbc.co.uk. Memoryshare was launched on the BBC Norfolk site on 8 July 2007, on the BBC London site on 23 July 2007 and on the BBC South Yorkshire site on 25 July 2007. It uses the DNA software developed for h2g2.

The service provides a framework for accessing and aggregating content relevant to any day since 1 January 1900 and enables users to contribute memories against dates, comment on memories, browse existing memories aggregated by date, view generic context information for each day gathered from BBC sites and from Wikipedia.

Following the launch on July 7, the service is being rolled out to further BBC Local sites, and to BBC Network Radio sites. It is also planned that the site should be developed to show images and take audio and video.As with h2g2, the site provides each member with a userpage where conversations and articles they have contributed to are listed.

As prompt and context, the service will aggregate event content from the BBC and external sites and display it by date. A page for every day since January 1900, with content derived from a range of genres (music/sport/news etc.).

The long-term aim for BBC Memoryshare is for a fully dynamic service which will enable users to find and search BBC content against date, to create content and to share multi-media content with other users.

The BBC's particular role in user generated content will be to draw on its strengths and focus on particular competitive opportunities. It can curate particular bodies of user generated knowledge of public benefit, and should invest in a relatively small number of high-quality projects. In doing so, it will democratise its own output and increase its relevance to audiences. As a first step, the BBC should pilot Eyewitness (Memoryshare) in History. A national grid for the nation's memories, Eyewitness (Memoryshare) gives a voice to anyone who has a story to tell about a particular day and is the kind of creative opportunity to which every subgenre should aspire.