ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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At 19:12 09/11/2006, Nina Simon wrote:

>Dear museum smarties,
>
>Like many of you, I was energized, inspired, simultaneously over- and
>under-whelmed by ASTC this year.  I was particularly motivated by some
>discussions about ways to more meaningfully bring visitors into the
>museum as users--active participants in content creation.
>
>So, I've started a blog, Museum 2.0 (http://www.museumtwo.blogspot.com),
>to explore some of these ideas.  The web is amazing for its ability to
>evolve and adapt, and web 2.0 applications give users high-value,
>personalized content based on their social participation in them.  Why
>can't museums do the same?  Can this model of visitor/user engagement
>work in our halls and programs?  How far can/will/should we go?

I've just had a strange experience!

Reading Nina Simon's message, I recalled chairing an online 
discussion about the same great question, back in 1998 as an 
official, 'virtual' part of that year's Museums and the Web 
conference in Toronto 
http://www.archimuse.com/mw98/abstracts/russell.html under the title, 
'Symmetrical Transactions'.

I searched Google to see if any vestiges of that discussion still 
remained in cyberspace. I discovered that it's all still there, 
fossilised in a long-forgotten, unlinked corner of my OWN website. 
http://www.interactives.co.uk/graffiti/

It felt peculiar to read again through this stimulating discussion 
lasting less than a month over eight years ago.


[log in to unmask] * http://www.interactives.co.uk
*
Give people facts and you feed their minds for an hour.
Awaken curiosity and they feed their own minds for a lifetime.
*
Ian Russell 

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