Nicole Basso wrote:
>
> There has been much talk about web sites on the list these days.  I work at a
> medical museum in Iowa City and would like to start a web page for it.

I gather the museum is in some way connected with the University of
Iowa. I would suggest your first stop would be the University's web site
to find out where at the school it was developed then contact the
appropriate department (it could be either the computer science or the
computer art/design department, depends on the school). Having access to
scanning equipment and image manipulation software is a big help. Also,
student programmers can add functionality to a web site and often
welcome opportunities to put their skills into practice with interesting
projects. Interactive forms and database conversions are fairly simple
unless, of course, you have no idea how to write a CGI script.

Most important, though, is to have someone in charge who understands
museum practice. If you approach a web site with the idea it is a
curatorial project rather than a PR or publishing one you will establish
a firm foundation to develop from.

The web is interactive hypermedia, not print or video. Someone who
understand this basic point is worth as much, if not more, than someone
with advanced technical skills. A simple text-based site that uses the
medium can be more effective than a flashy but inert one.

Don't spend a lot of money. Things change fast.

--
ROBBIN MURPHY, creative director, artnetweb
[log in to unmask]  -- http://artnetweb.com
426 Broome Street, NYC 10013  212 925-1885
NEW THIS WEEK: http://artnetweb.com/resource/new.html