It's entirely natural that we might respond to criticism by suggesting it's misplaced or the result of ignorance or prejudice but that doesn't mean that the content of the criticism has no value.
Our Museums have target audiences in groups that do not regularly visit and who, whether we like it or not, have different expectations to those visitors who naturally relate to our collections.
We need them to visit as well.
And when they take the trouble to comment I think we ought to listen carefully.
John
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
> Of Andrew Lewis
> Sent: 05 September 2013 08:41
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: MCG Digest - 3 Sep 2013 to 4 Sep 2013 (#2013-182)
>
> I'm with Danny,
>
> this guy doesn't like museums, but who cares? Many more millions of people
> do get culture and it's not like the issues about visitor-motivation and the
> need to understand what people want are new to anyone.
>
> Understanding changing needs arising from social trends etc. and developing
> services to meet to them is what we all do, all day long.
>
> Andrew
>
> Andrew Lewis
> Acting Head of Digital Media
> Digital Media Team
> Victoria and Albert Museum
> South Kensington
> London SW7 2RL
>
> 020 7942 2373
> [log in to unmask]
> www.vam.ac.uk/digitalmedia
> linkd.in/andrewlewis ( www.vam.ac.uk/digitalmedia ) @rosemarybeetle (
> https://twitter.com/rosemarybeetle )
>
>
>
> >>> MCG automatic digest system <[log in to unmask]> 05/09/2013
> 00:00 >>>
> There are 3 messages totaling 264 lines in this issue.
>
> Topics of the day:
>
> 1. More on iBeacon and "the end of NFC"
> 2. Why I hate museums
> 3. Data Protection Act - Compliance Without Headaches, practical
> workshop
>
> **********************************************************
> ******
> website: http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/
> Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ukmcg
> Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/museumscomputergroup
> [un]subscribe: http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/email-list/
> **********************************************************
> ******
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Date: Wed, 4 Sep 2013 14:24:54 +1000
> From: Scott Brewer <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: More on iBeacon and "the end of NFC"
>
> Hi Joe, see answers inline below for those interested.
>
> > Whats the range of Bluetooth LE and can you adjust it?
>
> About 50 meters max in clear line of site. It works on a dB signal
> strength so anything past about 5 meters quickly fades into similar
> ranges (eg. -90 dB could mean you're 10 or 20 meters away, it really
> depends on the room you're in and the angle you're hitting the beacon
> with). If you want to adjust for distance you can either do it on the
> device (eg. only pay attention to ranges that are < -50 dB) or you can
> adjust the strength of the beacon, both have pros and cons depending on
> what you wish to do.
> >
> > I'm imagining two different scenarios here.
> > In scenario 1 visitors are looking a big object - like a bus - and
> might be
> > 3 or 4 metres away from it so we need the system to work at that
> range.
> > In scenario two we have a narrowish gallery - say 4 metres wide with
> small
> > objects on both sides. Visitors will get closer to the objects so we
> would
> > need to reduce the range so that their phone tells them about the
> object in
> > front of them - not the one behind them.
>
> The system we use provides your location, instead of using one beacon
> and associating with an object we associate each beacon with a
> coordinate and then calculate your position based on the beacons you can
> see and their signal strengths (although there is a bit more to it than
> that). So in short our system works for both of these scenarios. If
> you're using pure proximity on the other hand then you need a lot more
> beacons and (due to reflections and surface noise in rooms) you're not
> always guaranteed that the strongest beacon signal is actually the one
> you're closest too.
>
> > As far as I can see Bluetooth LE currently works on iPhone 4S and
> above,
> > but doesn't yet work on Android although Google say that they will
> support
> > it in the future. Is this correct?
> > If so, it looks like, at the moment most visitor's phones won't work
> with
> > this system. Scott, how did you handle this issue in your gallery?
> Did you
> > give out devices to visitors?
>
> Our apps run on both iOS and Android. On Android we currently use WiFi
> triangulation to get your location, on iOS this isn't possible due to
> the lack off API calls made available by the OS so we use bluetooth LE.
> Android APIs have started supporting BTLE as of 4.3 but not all
> manufacturers have pushed out with updates to it yet. We offer loan
> devices onsite for visitors who don't have their own. We've worked with
> Nexus 7s, iPad minis and iPod touches.
>
> Hope that helps.
>
> Cheers,
> Scott.
>
> **********************************************************
> ******
> website: http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/
> Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ukmcg
> Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/museumscomputergroup
> [un]subscribe: http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/email-list/
> **********************************************************
> ******
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Wed, 4 Sep 2013 11:20:39 +0000
> From: "Birchall, Danny" <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Why I hate museums
>
> Ugh! I don't mind that some CNN hack has phoned in 1500 words about how
> he didn't enjoy his holidays, but why does the museum sector so often
> take rubbish like this as an excuse for orgies of self-flagellation? And
> why are 'curators' everybody's whipping boy?
>
> Danny
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
> Of
> Rebecca Atkinson
> Sent: 03 September 2013 11:16
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [MCG] Why I hate museums
>
> Maurice Davies has written a blog in response to the article entitled
> Stupid curators
>
> http://www.museumsassociation.org/maurice-davies-blog/28082013-stupid-
> curators-why-we-should-listen-to-the-public
>
>
> Rebecca Atkinson
> Online publications editor - Museum Practice and Museums Journal
> Museums Association
> 42 Clerkenwell Close, London EC1R 0AZ
> Tel: 0207 5667820
> Twitter: @rebeccaa_ma
> email: [log in to unmask]
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
> Of
> Mike Ellis
> Sent: 03 September 2013 11:14
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Why I hate museums
>
> http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/22/travel/opinion-why-i-hate-museums/
>
> This is a great piece. Great as in - you'll hate it :-)
>
> Comments are good too:
>
> "I suspect Mr. Durston is a product of our modern fast paced society,
> where 24 hour information falls like rain in short bullet statements,
> devoid of nuance and meaning; where Honey Boo-Boo and her ilk reign
> supreme over a court comprised of uneducated and unwilling fops.
>
> Perhaps he is more suited to watching a youtube video of someone's
> genitals being struck by a soccer ball."
>
> ..IMO it's useful to read stuff as obviously provocative as this as it
> forces us to think about things in different ways.
>
> ..or maybe it'll just make us cross...
>
>
>
> _____________________________
>
>
> Mike Ellis
>
> Thirty8 Digital: a small but perfectly formed digital agency:
> http://thirty8.co.uk
>
> * My book: http://heritageweb.co.uk *
>
>
>
>
>
> **********************************************************
> ******
> website: http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/
> Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ukmcg
> Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/museumscomputergroup
> [un]subscribe: http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/email-list/
> **********************************************************
> ******
>
> __________________________________________________________
> ____________
> This email has been scanned by the Symantec Email Security.cloud
> service.
> For more information please visit http://www.symanteccloud.com
> __________________________________________________________
> ____________
>
> **********************************************************
> ******
> website: http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/
> Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ukmcg
> Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/museumscomputergroup
> [un]subscribe: http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/email-list/
> **********************************************************
> ******
>
>
> This message has been scanned for viruses by Websense Hosted Email
> Security - www.websense.com
>
> **********************************************************
> ******
> website: http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/
> Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ukmcg
> Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/museumscomputergroup
> [un]subscribe: http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/email-list/
> **********************************************************
> ******
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Wed, 4 Sep 2013 13:33:44 +0100
> From: Samira Teuteberg
> <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Data Protection Act - Compliance Without Headaches, practical
> workshop
>
> Few Places Remaining: Data Protection Act – Compliance Without
> Headaches
>
> Led by professional Archivists/Records Managers working in the field,
> this
> workshop takes a practical view of the Data Protection Act, 1998,
> exploring the
> issues involved and outlining the key steps necessary to achieving
> compliance in
> the workplace, with particular regard to the Arts & Heritage sector.
>
> When: 17 September 2013 Where: The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in
> British
> Art, 16 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3JA Cost: £150 (£90 unwaged)
> Organised by:
> The recordsmanagementconsultancy Facilitators: Charlotte Brunskill,
> Archivist &
> Records Manager at the Paul Mellon Centre and Samira Teuteberg, Records
> Manager
> at the National Portrait Gallery.
>
> Workshop content: Are you:
>
> * unsure what the Data Protection Act covers?
> * concerned about what information you can disclose to the public?
> * confused about how to collect and manage personal data?
> * unclear how to comply with the Act?
>
> This training workshop explores the eight principles of the Data
> Protection Act
> and examines what these principles mean in the workplace. By using real
> life
> examples, the sessions will provide a practical step-by-step approach
> to Data
> Protection helping you to mitigate risks and ensure compliance within
> your
> organisation. The workshop is highly interactive and tailored
> specifically to
> the Arts & Heritage sector.
>
> The facilitators are experts in the field who have between them over 20
> years of
> experience managing records and advising on DPA compliance in a variety
> of Arts
> & Heritage organisations. They present the highly successful ‘Nuts &
> Bolts of
> Records Management’ training programme offered by Renaissance & the
> London
> Museums Hub. Charlotte Brunskill is co-author of Records Management for
> Museums
> & Galleries: an introduction (pub. Chandos 2012).
>
> Who should attend: Administrators, Archivists & Archive Assistants,
> Information
> Managers, Development and Personnel staff, Librarians, Curators and
> anyone
> responsible for managing records and personal data in an Arts &
> Heritage
> environment.
>
> For further information
> see:<http://www.recordsmanagementconsultancy.co.uk/> or
> to book a place e-mail [log in to unmask]
> <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>
> **********************************************************
> ******
> website: http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/
> Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ukmcg
> Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/museumscomputergroup
> [un]subscribe: http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/email-list/
> **********************************************************
> ******
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of MCG Digest - 3 Sep 2013 to 4 Sep 2013 (#2013-182)
> ********************************************************
>
> __________________________________________________________
> ____________
> This email has been scanned by the Symantec Email Security.cloud
> service.
> For more information please visit http://www.symanteccloud.com
> __________________________________________________________
> ____________
>
> Sky Arts Ignition: Memory Palace at V&A South Kensington
> Until 20 October 2013
> Book now on www.vam.ac.uk/memorypalace
>
> See the exhibition for free if you join as a V&A Member
> www.vam.ac.uk/members
>
> War Games
> Until 9 March 2014 at V&A Museum of Childhood
> Admission free
>
> Keep in touch
> Sign up for V&A e-newsletters www.vam.ac.uk/signup
> Become a fan on Facebook.com/VictoriaandAlbertMuseum (
> http://www.facebook.com/VictoriaandAlbertMuseum )
> Follow us on Twitter.com/V_and_A ( http://www.twitter.com/V_and_A )
>
> **********************************************************
> ******
> website: http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/
> Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ukmcg
> Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/museumscomputergroup
> [un]subscribe: http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/email-list/
> **********************************************************
> ******
****************************************************************
website: http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ukmcg
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/museumscomputergroup
[un]subscribe: http://museumscomputergroup.org.uk/email-list/
****************************************************************
|