It was a strange sight. During the television coverage of the London terrorist attacks last Thursday, the BBC cut to footage being shot using a mobile phone. It wasn't the highest quality video ever, but it -- along with the thousands of cell-phone pictures taken by Londoners during the disaster -- point to a sea change in the way information is gathered and the way history is written. Increasingly, individuals wielding the latest in high-tech gadgetry are the motors behind fact-finding. Not only do we have access to a vast array of sources through the Internet, (scarily, Google's expressed mission is "to document all human knowledge") but also, we are able to contribute our own knowledge to the process.

The Center for Cooperative Research  is a shining example of such "user-generated" content. It mirrors Wikipedia , in allowing users to add and edit material, but its concerns are much more political than the apparently neutral online encyclopedia. CCR is essentially a compendium of information about the war on terrorism, 9/11, Iraq and American foreign policy. It is far more than just a reference source however, as it actively seeks to link sources of research, and encourages interaction and the addition of new content.

Its most valuable material lies in the array of timelines available to the budding historian or curious campaigner. The 9/11 timeline, created by Paul Thompson, has effectively become the number one authority on the events leading up to the attacks on the World Trade Center, and is repeatedly cited by academics and writers. Also valuable are the detailed biographies of key politicians, business leaders, religious figures and extremists, which again are linked to each other to demonstrate the interaction of the key protagonists of modern history. The key to the site's success is undoubtedly its clarity and usability though. CCR allows the user to delve down into the greatest issues facing the world today, and at any point, add their own research to the existing knowledge network. Fascinating stuff -- enjoy.

Blogging the London Terror Attacks

Bloggers may not be the most reliable fountain of information, but when an event like Thursday's terror attacks in London takes place, they can be an indispensable source of first-hand reports and eyewitness accounts. And bloggers in the British capital set right to work after bomb explosions paralyzed central London and killed, according to the latest official report, 38 people and injuring hundreds more. Many on the Web site "Metroblogging"  describe being caught in the chaos that gripped the city while others write of their frantic efforts to reach friends and loved ones to find out if they are safe.

One particularly well-written piece  on the atmosphere in London following the attacks was written by blogger Leonie. She describes the scene in central London and writes convincingly of her own confusion. Thoughtfully, she also links to a number of personal accounts from those more directly affected , which were collected by the Guardian.

Art Goes Microscopic

On the face of it, everything looks straightforward; another banal reproduction of a famous master, a photographic online reprint -- entirely uninteresting to even the most uncritical art lover. Except it's not what it seems. Click on the image  and the clarity of Van Gogh's "Starry Night" begins to fall away. Delve down even further, and like Alice falling down the Rabbit Hole, you'll discover a whole world whose existence you hadn't the faintest inkling of: The world of the photomosaic.