Hello,
I'm enjoying this robust exchange of views. These are issues which need a
forum where they can be aired. I remember last year (?) there was an attempt
to start a site giving critical reviews of museum web sites which was
swiftly shot down in a fusilade of outrage. Although I didn't agree with the
rationale given by those behind the site, it did seem to be a potentially
interesting exercise, which was too swiftly dismissed.
In creating any book, web page or exhibition label (or almost anything else)
it's important both to have something interesting to say, and to say it
well. Neither is a substitute for the other.
However, there are no absolutes on what is interesting, or what is the best
way of saying something. These depend on the individual response to what
you're saying. However, there are plenty of ways of doing things which are
almost always unhelpful - that's where W3C accessibility guidelines are
useful. Also following them, and using CSS properly can make your site much
easier to maintain.
Responses to what you're saying on a web site (or exhibition text etc)
depend partly on your audience. Sometimes, by aiming for too many audiences
at once, you may end up simply boring them all. And, sometimes, aiming
content at a particular group, whether well-informed specialists, or 5-year
olds should be perfectly defensible. Doing something imperfectly may still
be better than not doing it at all: at least you tried!
I don't see why we should be afraid of robust criticism of web sites, or
indeed museum exhibitions. Unlike the art world where the content and
presentation of films, books, TV programs, exhibitions etc are all routinely
subject to public criticism, the museum world seems very meek about this
sort of thing. Maybe the lack of passion in these matters just reflects how
little we, or others, actually know or care about what we're saying?
(And maybe this is related to the lack of museum exhibitions listed in
newspaper "what's on" listings, relative to art exhibtions? But that's
another debate...)
Sorry for rambling on so long...
Cheers
John
Dr. J.W.Faithfull
Curator in Geology
Hunterian Museum
University of Glasgow
Glasgow G12 8QQ
UK
Tel: 0141 330 4213
Fax: 0141 330 8001
Email: [log in to unmask]
|