Dear all
I would like to be included in any discussions of this nature scheduled to
take place in Barcelona. International branding vs individuality of
committee content can be argued more fully there: for now I would like to
focus upon the website hosting dilemma.
And so to an MPR case study, in support of Nancy Hushion's stance.
The current situation with MPR's online presence is that, via the
generosity, skill and midnight keyboard work of a sole MPR member (Murray
Fagg) based at the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra, we
maintain a FREE place on this institution's server where most of the
committee's file records, plans and correspondence with our membership is
maintained or generated from. As Chairman, I develop the website's content
in consultation with the board, then forward the attachments to Murray for
uploading.
As you can surmise, as effectively as MPR has utilised this cost-free
facility in the past 3 years, the setup remains active only via an extremely
tenuous existence. In short, it is unacceptable. But still MPR feels
privileged, as many committees have to pay quite alot for such a service.
BUT - If the institution, or Murray, for that matter, were to collapse or
reject MPR's "limpet" like presence tomorrow, then the key communications
vehicle for one of ICOM's most established working international committees
would simply vanish (at least until I had time to organise some similarly
clandestine net arrangement).
How embarrassing and unprofessional for an international committee dedicated
to issues of marketing and communications!!
At the previous Triennial in Melbourne, at which time I took up the
challenge of chairing MPR, the internet was identified as the most
cost-effective, immediate and accessible medium of communication for MPR
members to use (in the rare circumstance where our members lack online
access, we ask them to contact us by post, fax or phone and we replicate the
material in hard copy for them).
ICOM's International Committee's are, by definition, the "working arms" of
the organisation in terms of membership contact. They invariably operate on
minute amounts of subsistence funding and enormous amounts of goodwill,
particularly from the board members' perspective.
Yes, there is a very strong case for provision of centrally-hosted
website facilities through ICOM. Each committee would still be responsible
for developing content and forwarding their material to a designated,
fulltime ICOM webmaster for editing and uploading (Immediately!!). A
universal standard of branding and representation would probably look quite
tidy from an industry perspective (ie: potential sponsor), with the
individuality of each committee still protected and promoted under the
central ICOM umbrella.
Nancy is right - committee website hosting is a key element that needs to be
acted upon sooner rather than later. Such service provision by ICOM Central
would allow for unbroken and secure future communications with the ICOM
membership constituency, as well as freeing up more time and finances for
each committee to devote to other aspects of program development, grants,
promotions, research. Programs for helping ensure that every MPR member has
online access in their home country, perhaps?
Grahame Ryan
Chairman
ICOM-MPR
On Wed, 25 Apr 2001 13:10:46 -0400, International Council of Museums
Discussion List wrote:
Dear Roger and Jean-Marcel
I am collapsing my responses on this issue into a single message, perhaps
to save us all time and to respond quickly so a meeting in Barcelona may
be
set up as soon as possible, if desired.
The question of Committee web sites is a long standing issue which ICOM
does not seem to be able to resolve - yet. At the Advisory meeting in
1999, a strong wish was expressed by the meeting that ICOM itself host
(but
NOT develop or integrate) the various web sites. The Secretary General
said ICOM was too short staffed but he would look into it, and report to
the next meeting (as noted in the amended Minutes). However, at the 2000
Advisory there was still no report, although the Secretary General again
said he would look into it. I am therefore concerned by Jean-Marcel's
comment that the Secretary General recently told him he was going to look
into this. Surely there should also be some consultation with Cary Karp,
ICOM's IT specialist.
For INTERCOM (and perhaps others) the problem is not lack of skills. The
issue (and INTERCOM is facing it right now as we try to get our site on
line) is that we must select a web-hosting service somewhere (in the
absence of ICOM doing anything) and, for practical reasons, this typically
turns out to be in the Committee president's own country. But presidents,
and therefore countries, change. Similar complication with International
Committee bank accounts - but that is another issue.
Either ICOM will host its Committees sites - or it will not - for whatever
reason. Please stop 'looking into it' and make a decision!!
I am very interested in INTERCOM attending a meeting in Barcelona if it
addresses - and resolves - the issue of hosting - but not if it is about
skills development and technicalities.
Nancy Hushion
Chair, INTERCOM
489 King Street West, Suite 303
Toronto, Ontario M5V 1K4
Canada
Tel. 1 416 351 0216
Fax 1 416 351 0217
EMail [log in to unmask]
At 11:20 AM 4/25/01 +1200, Roger Smith wrote:
>thinking that we are, has brought us to where we have already been. In
order
>to go somewhere else, we must think in a different way. --Albert Einstein
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>--------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Marie-Fran?oise,
>
>Thankyou for conveying Jean-Marcel Humbert's thought on the future of
ICOM's
>websites. Whilst appreciating that not every committee has been able to
>establish a web presence or in some cases produce a 'sophisticated' site,
I
>believe that the proposal to "integrate the web sites of all the
committees
>on the ICOM web" runs contrary to the dynamic nature and philosophy of
the
>Web as a medium.
>
>There are two issues to be addressed and neither relates to a centralised
>control ( which I suspect, based on recent ICOM initiatives, is what is
>meant by the phrase "integrate the web sites") .
>
>The first is assistance for those who have not got the facilities nor
skills
>to produce a web site. The second is the issue of content management and
>the ability to provide self-moderated sites so that designated web
>communicators can regularly update material and ensure relevance.
>
>The first could easily be achieved by making available publishing
software
> sponsorship support opportunity here!) and providing online tutorials.
>There are some VERY simple and effective packages available and our aim
>should be to de-mystify the 'techno-babble' that surrounds IT
enterprises!
>
>The second could also be achieved by providing instruction on issues such
as
>content management, writing for the web etc. Providing communicators and
>not technicians provide this advice you should be on the right track.
>
>The STRENGTH of ICOM can always been the individual identity of its
>committee and interest group structures, supporting an overall presence.
I
>actually LIKE visiting the various sites, both good and bad, as each
impart
>a different perspective.
>
>As an ICOM member of long standing and a champion of web freedom I would
be
>absolutely opposed to any course of action that attempted to negate this
>individuality through a centalised control mechanism, for one thing the
>history of ICOM has clearly shown that it is it satellite operations that
>are nimble and able to capitalise on the immediacy of communication.
This
>could not be said for the centre of the organisation (and this statement
is
>NOT an indictment of our hardworking staff in Paris)
>
>As a professional web manager at a university and successful web
publisher
>in my own right, I remain concerned that the only strategy ICOM seems to
be
>able to come up with to share the communication abilities of the Web is
to
>talk about centralising!
>
>If you truly want a DYNAMIC ( in all senses of the word) web then you
>empower ICOM committee members by giving them the tools to do the job, at
>their own workplace and in their own time. If only 18% of national
>committees and 54% of international committees have operative sites then
>surely the answer is to provide instruction to nominated representatives
and
>maintain an online teaching presence for this purpose. Provide them with
>templates, images, logos by all means but DON'T attempt to stifle their
>individualism or amalgamate everything into an amorphous mass
>
>Roger Smith
>Former Chair of ICOM MPR and ICOM New Zealand
>Manager - Web Centre Auckland University of Technology
>Founder and Publisher of Global Museum
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "DELVAL Marie-Fran?oise" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Monday, 23 April 2001 3:59
>Subject: ICOM Committees and Internet - Barcelona
>
>
> > Jean-Marcel Humbert
> > Pr?sident d'AVICOM
> > e-mail : [log in to unmask]
> >
> > Letter directed to all the presidents of the national, international
and
> >
> > local committees.
> >
> > Lettre destin?e ? tous les pr?sidents des comit?s nationaux,
> > internationaux et r?gionaux.
> >
> > ___________________________________
> >
> >
> > Madam President, Mister President, dear Colleague,
> >
> > Web sites are currently on the increase within the ICOM. However, all
> > the committees do not dispose of any yet : at the moment, only 19
> > national committees out of 105, and 15 out of 28 international
> > committees have their own web site. Also, a lack of financial and
> > technical knowledge means are one of the reasons why part of them are
> > not brought up to date.
> >
> > Following the remarks I was told about it, I met Manus brinkman who
> > confirmed that he would think of the possibilities to realize and to
> > integrate the web sites of all the committees on the ICOM web. He also
> > agreed that AVICOM should organize a round table event on the subject
> > during the meeting in Barcelona.
> > The matter would particularly deal with the evaluation of your
> > considerations, the definition of the contents regarding these web
> > sites, and also the technical side of the production.
> >
> > In order to help us to prepare the round table, a date will be soon
> > decided, I would be grateful if you let me know your wishes and
> > suggestions regarding the web site of your committee. Besides, in case
> > your cares and suggestions in this field should be particularly
strong,
> > you are kindly invited to participate in the round table as a speaker
;
> > if so, thank you to let me know as soon as possible. On the contrary,
> > you will of course have the opportunity to attend the meeting that
will
> > be opened to all the members of the congess.
> >
> > Looking forward to your reply and the pleasure to meet you in
Barcelona.
> >
> > Sincerely yours,
> >
> > Jean-Marcel Humbert
> > Pr?sident d'AVICOM
> > e-mail : [log in to unmask]
>
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Grahame Ryan
Chairman, ICOM-MPR
International Council of Museums
Marketing & Public Relations Committee
(http://www.icom.org/mpr)
Director
Adelaide Central Gallery
(http://www.acsa.sa.edu.au)
45 Osmond Terrace
Norwood SA 5066
tel: (08) 8364-2809
fax: (08) 8364-4865
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