Regarding the post about the Mystic Seaport Web Site--

I have been an Internet user for some time and find its transformation
from academic to commercial both advantageous and a concern. Commercial
sites have a lot to add if they provide information and not just an
advertisement. We all expect commercial sites to be commercial and not
necessarily informational and when a commercial site exceeds our
expectations the surprise is pleasant.  We expect a museum to do more than
post its hours of operation and directions off the Interstate and when we
see a promotional brochure rather than educational materials, we are
especially disappointed. (I did not see the site in questions and pass no
judgment one way or the other).
I have been developing a Web site that will go on line in mid December. We
are museum security consultants and are very much aware that we will
suffer great criticism if we don't offer useful free information to
clients and  potential clients. (Museum folk are very judgmental of we who
profit from museums no matter whether we are formerly museum folk
ourselves or whether they are moonlighting for profit themselves).  We
have put a great deal of thought into making the site easy to use
(graphics are nice but don't take forever to load, for example) and making
the information useful and "fresh" each month.  Each month we will have a
free newsletter on museum security that will be heavy on news and light on
self promotion.  We will have reprints and articles to download and sample
policies and procedures or training materials for guards that anyone can
adapt for their use. In exchange we feel we have a right to toot our horn
and make potential clients aware of our services--just like the soap
company on TV.  That's the way it works. (An alien concept to some
non-profits, but get used to it until the next Congressional revolution).
Museums are no different.  Either you must make the site totally
non-commercial or offer valuable information along with the promotional
materials. No one has a right to criticize you if you strike a balance
unless they wish to make a donation to your general fund to support the
Web site as totally non-promotional and even then, who says your site
can't be promotional. I also take issue with the writer who said in a post
that the taxpayers own the Internet.  Not so. They own a small part of it
and their part is getting smaller every day.  Pray that this remains so
lest we lose the best thing to happen since peanut butter. I own my site
on the Web and you own yours and the government owns theirs. It costs me
over $1000 per issue to print and mail my free newsletter to clients and
their associates like architects, etc. I can offer my newsletter along
with other valuable stuff to the whole world for a quarter of that cost
per month. Everyone wins--as long as my site offers something readers find
valuable.  Museum sites are no different.   Steve Keller, CPP  Steven R.
Keller & Associates, Inc. Museum Security Consultants 1939 Algonquin Ave.
Deltona, FL 32725  (904) 789-6740 fax (904) 532-5969 email
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Coming December 15:  http://www.cnilink.com/Intlartcop