Unit 12: Virtual Machines

This week we have been asked to discuss the possibility of downloading a pre-installed VM versus building your own, from a learning and pedagogical perspective. I am really glad to add the ability to setup a basic VM to my set of skills. I can set one up pretty quickly now after having done it so many times, so the repetition has definitely helped speed up the process. If downloading a pre-configured solution is almost as much work, then I am not really sure it would save that much time at the expense of gaining VM experience. On the other hand, it would be nice to have more time to work with the collections and explore the functionality of the systems more. I think the only way that would really be enabled would be to have hosted versions of each software already configured, similar to our digital preservation class. From a professional perspective, as much as I may enjoy working with the command line and VM setup, if I am being honest those are the skills I will probably use the least on the job. Those are the sorts of tasks the Technology department would handle, whereas my expertise would be needed as an Archivist creating the digital collections, metadata, and controlled vocabulary.