Contents
Welcome to Digital Alabama
SPIES BY DAY, SUPER HEROS BY NIGHT
I welcome you to our website and hope you will find it to be among the most unique websites you have ever visited. In order for you to fully enjoy our articles and take advantage of what the site offers, there are things you should understand at the outset. This introduction is somewhat lengthy but is a pretty good story in itself.
WHAT IS DIGITAL ALABAMA?
Although hundreds use it as such, Digital Alabama is not a travel guide. It is a travelogue. “Travelogue” is defined as “a movie, book, or illustrated lecture about the places visited and experiences encountered by a traveler.” That definition perfectly describes Digital Alabama.
We publish two types of articles:
( 1 ) Nonfiction—Articles about the places we visit and our experiences during our travels AND information on locations and topics gathered while doing research for clients and/or publications.
( 2 ) Historical Fiction—Fictitious accounts of true events as told by one of our imaginary writers.
WHO ARE WE?
“We” consists of:
( 1 ) T.O. Crane, founder and CEO of Crane Intelligence, Inc.
Mr. Crane, former FBI Field Intelligence Group Supervisor; intelligence analyst, private investigator. More information about Mr. Crane’s company can be found at www.CraneIntelligence.com
( 2 ) Terry & Vickie—husband and wife.
Terry, former law enforcement professional and retired private investigator – now an amateur investigative reporter, author & editor. More infomation about Terry can be found at his website, www.TerryPlatt.com.
Vickie, former insurance industry professional. Proof reader & OSINT operative.
OUR BACKGROUND
T. O. Crane, grew up on a farm in North Alabama in a closely knit family with several generations living on the family’s 120 acres which was acquired by the Crane family well over 200 years ago. Having several generations together allowed for frequent discussions about their kin and family ancestors.
T.O. Crane grew up to work for the FBI, and after leaving the FBI, he created a private intelligence agency, Crane Intelligence Inc.
T.O. meets Terry Platt at a Private Investigators conference. They share their interests and decide to use their professional investigative skills to research family stories and folktales about the Crane family. Over three years of off-and-on research and interviews results in a superabundant amount of information—some relevant to the family, some not— but still some mighty fine stories about Alabama history.
WE ARE UNIQUE – WE LOVE WHAT WE DO
We love what we do. Finding the real story is exciting – especially when it can be shown that folklore and old newspaper articles are a bit removed from the telling of the whole story or the facts. We are professionals and are strictly business when on assignment but after hours we like to have fun, visit with others and dig for new stories.
We are kids at heart. We like to think, “We are spies by day and super heros by night.” We work real cases during the day and create stories at night. We endeavor to find the facts and introduce you to the history, culture, people and lifestyles of Alabama by way of entertaining stories.
SO WHY DO WE PUBLISH?
We think everyone interested in our state should have the opportunity to examine and enjoy what we find. We take our research information and turn it into entertainment. We use fictional characters to narrate historic events and trained professionals to report facts.
We travel statewide and meet many interesting people so, in addition to historical fiction, we write about the people we meet and the places we go. When writing about these people and places each of us has our own byline.
So, whether you enjoy your adventures from the comfort of your easy-chair, a rolling RV or a bone rattling four-wheeler our stories that recount our research and travels should satisfy your desire for stories of Alabama.
DIGITAL ALABAMA IS NOT A TRAVEL GUIDE
We are not into champagne and five-star motels. We’re more into the earthy stuff, the local comings and goings and what the local folks do. We’re into the local history, local legends and the secret history of people and places. And… we do not publish only about the positives and the safe streets. We tell you about the underside, the ugly family secrets and the whispered tales. If it’s ugly, dirty or smelly, we say so. We’re definitely not your run-of-the-mill travel guide.
We endeavor to submerge our readers in our Alabama culture, with emphasis on the lifestyle of the people of Alabama, our history, our art, our architecture, our religion(s) and other elements that helped shape our way of life.
We tend to avoid urban areas and crowded masses. Instead, our writers walk you through mostly rural and historical areas in order to expose you to the ways of local people, the real people of Alabama – their traditions and lifestyle. We visit local festivals, local rituals and rowdy hangouts and give you the good, the bad and the ugly.
Yes, we include information on popular Alabama travel destinations and we have info on overcrowded tourist traps. We have content about the “must see” destinations and plenty of “practical information” because a lot of travelers expect it even though it’s dull, dull, dull.
We primarily concentrate on the nitty-gritty, down-in-the-dirt true adventure stuff. The stories are true—taken from vetted sources and historical documents such as newspapers, membership lists, log books and so on. In most instances the stories will be spiced up a bit to make them more entertaining but the facts do not change. When one of our fictional characters is telling the story–well, then you can expect much more than a dull top-down newspaper article. You are, after all, right there with the character. If we do our job right you should be able to smell the smoke and feel the smack!
Terry Platt, Editor
Ph: 251-583-5955
staff@digitalalabama.com