Thanks to all who have responded so far - especially the most recent from Susan Hazan. I have a (non museum) book deadline to meet (one more chapter and some bits and pieces) so it'll probably be a couple of weeks before I respond again. Please keep those comments coming as I do think we have to open this one as wide as possible. After all, the UK government proposes spending £120 million pounds on this - using a system that is unproven and larger than any ever before proposed. We know what has happened to a lot of the UK government spending on computer systems. Why should culture in general and museums in particular be used as yet another guinea pig? (and, no, this is not party political - after all, the last time there was a genuine commitment to museums from any government, John Ruskin was still alive! - stir it up, boy)