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To me its a bit like asking should there be electricity or cell service or a cafe or benches in a museum.  The internet is a utility and an amenity that people increasingly expect to have access to.  We are science/technology places, so we shouldn't be behind starbucks, let alone macdonalds, in this respect.  People will use it how they use it.  I'd like to think that Wayne is right that people will use public internet for things related to the museum visit.  I know I always use wireless to find out stuff that I don't know or can't remember (google is my prosthetic brain).  Its particularly fun because the droid has voice to text that works very well, so I can speak to my phone and have a good shot at getting the info I want.

But, sure we should have public internet.  We don't not have cafes or benches because we are afraid people will eat and or sit instead of engaging in our exhibits. 

E

On Jun 22, 2010, at 3:47 PM, LABAR, WAYNE wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
> 
> Martin
> 
> We have discovered that being able to tap into information on multiple
> levels is a good way to spread info.
> 
> I would like to suggest that global/national events and happenings
> (hurricane, oil spill, discovery of life elsewhere) are events we as a
> field need to engage with better and perhaps with some cohesion go
> amplify our importance to society and a large swath of the public.
> Free wifi access may play a crtical role.
> 
> Overall why not give people the tools to make their own connections to
> content and to communicate others about it. Museums are a social
> experience, we need to acknowledge that in today's world our social
> "fabric" is both real and virtual.
> 
> Wayne
> 
> 
> 
> Wayne LaBar
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Vice President, Exhibitions and Featured Experiences, Liberty Science
> Center
> 
> Principal-in-Charge, LSC Experience Services
> 
> 
> 
> Liberty Science Center
> 
> Liberty State Park
> 
> 222 Jersey City Blvd
> 
> Jersey City, NJ 07305
> 
> 
> voice: 201.499.7818
> 
> twitter: wlabar
> 
> check our new exhibition in the works: Cooking at  http://www.cookingexhibition.org
> see our work:  http://www.lsc.org/exhibits
> 
> 
> On Jun 22, 2010, at 15:10, "martin weiss" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
>> 
>>       Again, has anyone made any observations? I have not, except
>> that teachers tend to "flock" together and nannies also in
>> playgrounds.
>> I have asked that our Explainers be queried about what they observe.
>> We too have WiFi and I don't think we advertise it (not certain why
>> not if we don't). But as you know smart phones "find" the network so
>> it is not a secret for long.
>> 
>> I'll report what our Explainers observe.
>> 
>> Wayne if you would use it for emergency announcements how would that
>> work if you don't advertise the WiFi availability?
>> 
>> Martin
>> On Jun 22, 2010, at 2:48 PM, David Savory wrote:
>> 
>>> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology
>>> Centers
>>> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
>>> institutions.
>>> ***
>>> ***
>>> ***
>>> ********************************************************************
>>> 
>>>> I haven't been in this business for long enough to know, but my
>>>> bet is that there were disengaged chaperones long before there were
>>> cellphones and wi-fi.
>>> 
>>> 2-shay.
>>> 
>>> My personal feeling is that science museums ought to serve up a
>>> humongous buffet of experiences for visitors to gorge on as they
>>> will. If visitors are unwilling or unable to engage and would
>>> rather text their grandmas, so be it. We already have their money.
>>> Mwah haha.
>>> 
>>> David Savory
>>> Community Extensions Program Developer and Exhibit Curator
>>> Science World British Columbia
>>> TELUS World of Science
>>> 1455 Quebec Street
>>> Vancouver, BC
>>> Canada V6A 3Z7
>>> 
>>> t: 604.443.7561
>>> f: 604.443.7434
>>> e: [log in to unmask]
>>> w: scienceworld.ca
>>> 
>>> Science World British Columbia is a self-supporting non-profit
>>> organization which engages British Columbians in science and
>>> inspires future science and technology leadership throughout our
>>> province.
>>> 
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>>> Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org
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>> 
>> __________________
>> __________________
>> Martin Weiss, PhD
>> Science Interpretation Consultant
>> mweiss at nyscience dot org
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> __________________
>> __________________
>> Martin Weiss, PhD
>> Science Interpretation Consultant
>> mweiss at nyscience dot org
>> 
>> 
>> 
> 
> ...
> 
> ***********************************************************************
> For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
> 
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