Hi Perry,
It sounds like you are at risk of losing your individual museum website not
just the URL?
I don't think the URL itself really matters as users don't pay much
attention to this unless sending it as a link and in that case as long as
it works it doesn't matter what it says, as long as it is made clear it has
changed and users are redirected to the new URL that's not a major problem.
But if you're at risk of losing your own website as a single entity that is
a problem.
I think it is really important that you can maintain a website that is, in
appearance at least, an independent entity from the Council website (with
clear links between sites and possibly some stylistic similarities in house
style by all means). Museum users do not make any association between the
council and the museums it runs (I had no idea that councils ran museums
until I started to apply for jobs in them), so it not logical to expect a
potential service user to log on to the council website to get a museum's
opening time. A museum is seen as a separate entity and should have its own
website as this is what users expect (and councils should meet user
expectation).
The council may want to feel that all it's services are encompassed within
one site and may feel that the site can showcase all the services it
provides boosting it's image etc, but this makes no sense if a user does
not know that these services are all provided by one body. Also many
people have negative views about councils in general (quite possibly
wrongly), it's where they go to complain about the bins not being emptied
etc. Obviously how you explain all this to your councillors depends on how
sensitive they are to user perception of them and how good your museum's
relationship is with them etc
It is essential that you or/and other members of museum staff have complete
autonomy over content/updating info otherwise you will have to forward any
changes to someone in your IT dept or causing (major?) delays in info
updating etc.
Best Wishes,
Rachel
Perry Bonewell <[log in to unmask]>@JISCMAIL.AC.UK> on 16/02/2005
11:55:24
Please respond to Museums Computer Group <[log in to unmask]>
Sent by: Museums Computer Group <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
cc:
Subject: Museum domains
Hello there,
Does anyone have experience of having to change their museum domain name or
URL for any reason?
The reason I ask is that the local authority I work for plans to absorb all
public sites under one corporate web service, which could potentially mean
losing autonomy. I am also concerned about the possibility of losing a URL
that has been established for nearly ten years now.
Apart from the practical issues of such a change is there any argument to
be made from the Museums perspective about preserving an on line identity
and if so where can I find further guidance on this matter?
Many Thanks
Perry Bonewell
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