Yes, there are broken links. Yes, I have an embarassment of bandwidth by
comparison to the audience for this work. Yes, a no frames, text only
version would be a wise addition.
BUT, let's not forget how useful it is to have resources like this at all.
The content is well laid out. The design firm did a creditable job of
making access simple (this does seem like a good utilzation of frames to me
rather than a trivial one). Those involved with preparing the material and
developing the examples are to be commended.
It has taken years for the museum community to become willing to share
information like this and able to attempt it. I appreciate and understand
Eugene and Joris's criticisms and concerns, but it troubles me to see the
museum community so quick to find fault with its own efforts, particularly
when that fault revolves around presentation that can be easily rectified
with constructive commentary.
Perhaps a wiser course in the future would be for ICOM to test such
materials with a group that can test practical usability before making it
public, but let's not discourage ICOM from these efforts.
(On usability, the Microsoft Site Builder advertised a tool that has always
seemed to me a useful idea -- it is a "Browser Snapshot" utility that will
show what pages look like on any of the major browsers or platforms. It is
available for level 2 members who can remember their passwords -- I can't,
so I have not actually seen it) To sign up for their Site Builder program
go to http://www.microsoft.com/sbnmember/levels/qualify2.asp )
Jim Blackaby
Senior Systems Developer -- Outreach Technology
USHMM -- 100 Raoul Wallenberg Pl., SW -- Washington, DC 20024
202-314-0393 fax 202-314-7888
[log in to unmask]
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ICOM Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf
> Of Namibian Museum Entomology
> Sent: Thursday, August 06, 1998 5:27 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Handbook of Standards; Documenting African Collections
>
>
> I just received Cary's & Joris's notification of the site. I quickly
> visited it, the first page came up in about 2 minutes (at ca 2 k
> a second),
> the link to the english version took about 3 minuted, and after
> waiting for
> 5 minutes with a blank screen waiting for the natural history standards to
> download (still at ca 2 k a second), I called it a day. Definitely not a
> site I will bookmark or recommend.
>
> Eugene Marais
>
> Entomology Centre
> National Museum of Namibia
> P.O. Box 1203, Windhoek, Namibia
> Tel: + 264 61 29 34 305/354
> Fax: + 264 61 22 86 36
> http://www.natmus.cul.na/ento/index.html
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joris Komen [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Thursday, August 06, 1998 8:38 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Handbook of Standards; Documenting African Collections
>
> Dear ICOM-L(isters),
>
> As one of a considered number of African museum collaborators in
> the AFRICOM Handbook of Standards project, I was stunned into
> complete silence (this is a rare phenomenon:-)) for some minutes
> while trying to browse the newly finished Handbook of Standards
> pages hosted at
>
http://www.icom.org/afridoc/
as an ICOM internet resource.
I was flabbergasted; with complete abandon (of ICOM page
conformity), this entry page comes up as a graphic disaster
zone...no text whatsoever, and a loooong wait for a visual rehash
of the handbook's front cover (I'm browsing from a 57k modem
connection to swipnet.se in Stockholm, so I don't have bandwidth
problems for a change:-)). Finding my way around the first
english page (99% graphics), I then land up in a horrendous frame
environment, with broken links and more slow graphics.
These pages suck!
What I found really disturbing is the fact that I'm listed as an
author of this Handbook!! Yesterday was the *first* time I
received news of this disasterous set of pages, and I am somewhat
more than a tad annoyed that there was absolutely zero
consultative process with the *authors* of the Handbook - is this
becoming a pervasive phenomenon at the ICOM secretariat in
Paris??
Hugely disappointed!
Joris Komen
National Museum of Namibia
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