On a project we are working on for a collection website, the issue has
arisen of user contributed content - specifically of the idea of
visitors creating their own exhibitions, by selecting works from the
very comprehensive collection.
I'm personally quite skeptical about the chances of anything like this
to have some degree of success and I'd like to hear from others if
they had any experiences and to what level of user acceptance. My
feeling is that, generally, users need 'motivation' for contributing
content, although such motivation does not have to be culturally very
elevated. The enormous success of Facebook and Twitters is based on
small talk and the necessity of people staying (rather superficially)
'in touch' with one another.
Is anyone aware of any successful example of online visitors getting
meaningfully involved with a Museum or Collection website,
contributing views/content/opinions that would enhance the experience
of other users/visitors, as well as prompt content contributors to go
back for more? I'm thinking of:
- Users curating their own exhibitions, but what happens to them
afterwards? There probably ought to be some form of reward system.
- Visitors sharing their information, views/reviews or opinions (wiki
style) on artworks and artists; for the criticism that we can think
of, Wikipedia remains an incredible resource.
- Users emailing each other links to artwork pages (there is a big
copyright concern about the ability to share/publish such pages on own
Facebook/MySpace profiles).
Websites selling books, videos and music (Amazon and many more) have
for years implemented a very successful model for eliciting users'
contributions (especially reviews), but I haven't yet come across the
same in the art/museum world. Is this a pointless exercise?
Any sharing of ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Have a good weekend.
Cristiano
--
Cristiano Bianchi
Keepthinking
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