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Dear Bridget, I was really glad to read both your email and your blog about Logging On. I think the time has come for some proper reflection on Culture Online, so that hopefully one could better learn how to construct or inform these large-scale programmes in future. For me, Culture Online was a tale of opportunities missed and money wasted. Although I would share in your wish not to denigrate any of the individual projects, there is no doubt that Culture Online represented a significant strategic moment which should have had a far more profound impact than it did. The fact that it did not is an eloquent illustration of the difference between the underlying motivations of politicians and practitioners. Our sector needs, indeed is crying out for, sustained investment in core infrastructure and skills. In less political terms, we need money for boxes, wires and the skills to use them and market the resulting services effectively. It is this, and this alone that is going to prepare us fully to become a player in the digital marketplace. From a political perspective, Culture Online was a dream project. It was high-profile, it involved a sexy team of ex-broadcasters and New Media gurus and it promised to 'break the mould' and 'create a new paradigm'. I have often heard DCMS refer to it as a much-loved project, at least partly for the awards and profile it garnered them, but also partly because of the reflected cool of the creative industries. In reality, though, sector-wide change isn't something you can just 'do' to people. Good change management is about working with people, understanding their needs and potential and helping them to achieve it. Culture Online always had the feeling of happening 'near' the culture sector rather than in it - a feeling which was exacerbated by the commissioning model, and which echoes through 'Projects Etc'. Now - I am aware of the risk of appearing reactionary and old-school about this, but Culture Online really should have been an opportunity to bring the spirit of the enterprise culture into the online delivery of museums. We certainly all have much to learn about creating market-competitive, high quality services, but they way to learn it is not by seeing what small number of already well-equipped players can do with a sudden injection of cash. I remain deeply concerned about the sustainability of these projects. Having reviewed the Culture Online-funded sites over the past 6 months, several of them are either broken or in stasis. Of those that are not, it is hard to see the business model by which the host organisations will sustain the necessary investment in costly infrastructure (such as mobile phone gateways). Of all of these projects, I would single out the 24 Hour Museum (as you have in your blog) as an exception. The 24HM is a shining example of what our sector can achieve even under budget constraints, and strategically the sector as a whole benefits from the public profile they bring. The City Heritage Guides are a good product, well-made and can be sustained and developed in future. So in answer to your original question, a future Culture Online would indeed feature fewer projects. I would very much hope that the majority of its money would be spent not on websites or services, but on simple intelligent things which would benefit the community as a whole. Sector-wide market research, for example, or a consistent benchmark for statistics. Business models for sustainability which included example contracts and costs for legal advice. Guidelines and design principles for everyone to follow, even nice, portable widgets like Google maps which everyone could implement in their own sites, thus raising the game for the many, not the few. The challenge to our sector remains great, and vital, and I am afraid that from my perspective Culture Online did not get us very much further than we were already. Happy to be contradicted though! Nick Nick Poole Chief Executive MDA The Spectrum Building The Michael Young Centre Purbeck Road Cambridge CB2 2PD Tel 01223 415 760 www.mda.org.uk www.collectionslink.org.uk www.culturalpropertyadvice.gov.uk MDA (Europe) Ltd. Registered company number 13000565. -----Original Message----- From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bridget McKenzie Sent: 25 June 2007 09:19 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Logging On (review of Culture Online) Has anyone read Logging On: Culture, Participation and the Web by John Holden of DEMOS? http://www.demos.co.uk/publications/loggingon It's a reflection on Culture Online, asking questions about future directions. I wrote a rather opinionated blog post about it, rather late at night. See here: http://bridgetmckenzie.blogspot.com/ In the cold light of morning I'm not sure that I'm quite right and would appreciate your views on Culture Online, off list if you don't want to make them public, or perhaps as comments in my blog. Otherwise, I hope the question could make an interesting debate on the list: What do you think a future Culture Online should be? Please note - no criticism of any individuals and their efforts is intended in my post. I think everyone involved did their best to make some very good websites, but that there are political planning issues not addressed in John Holden's report. Bridget McKenzie Director, Flow Associates 441 New Cross Road, SE14 6TA 07890 540178 0208 691 6803 e: [log in to unmask] www.flowassociates.com ************************************************** For mcg information and to manage your subscription to the list, visit the website at http://www.museumscomputergroup.org.uk ************************************************** ************************************************** For mcg information and to manage your subscription to the list, visit the website at http://www.museumscomputergroup.org.uk **************************************************