Thousands of people will take part in the "world's biggest blog" today, trying to create a historical record giving future generations a snapshot of life in 2006. Let's hope they don't get the impression we spent all day blogging.
The "One Day in History" project is being organised by the National Trust, and will be stored by the British Library as a "permanent historical record of our national life".
"We want to urge people participating to reflect in their diaries how history itself impacted on them that day," says the NT, "whether it be simply commuting through an historic environment, discussing family history, watching repeats on TV, or listening to mum's incessant 80's [sic] pop.
"17 October has been chosen deliberately as 'an ordinary' Tuesday of no particular significance. We want to record the ordinary lives of citizens and students.
"By doing so in vast numbers, everyone will be contributing something valuable to the historic record - a snapshot of everyday life at the beginning of the 21st century."
Two things. First, it's not going to be a historical record of people in 2006, it's going to be a historical record of people with computers in 2006, which are quite different things.
Second, what's this guff about "reflecting in their diaries how history itself impacted on them that day". Eh? I've no idea how history is going to impact on me today. I can tell you how London Underground impacted on me - it made me late for work - but history?
So I'm not sure if they are going to end up with an important historical document, or 100,000 sub-Sky Three "I Love 2006" essays. Who's going to have the time to read all this stuff?
Blue Peter buried a time capsule in 1971, and I tuned in with some excitement (I know, I know) to watch them dig it up six years ago. Unfortunately water had leaked into the "water tight" container and most of the stuff inside was no use whatsoever. Will One Day In History be any better?
