This made me think of a book by U.Chicago scholar Cass Sunstein,
called Republic.com.

In it Sunstein argues that online communities are causing a
fracturing of american society, rather than providing a communal
space. He cites evidence that people in online forums tend to become
more extreme in their language and behavior --using both scientific
psyche experiments and u.s. militia examples.

Sunstein says that the ability to filter stories and content on the
Internet is actually one of its greatest dangers, as when you are
exposed only to the content you want to read about, your worldview
shrinks. He argues that the very act of reading a newspaper helps the
social fabric survive, as people are exposed, on streetcorners and in
the media, to another point of view. He says the old town square
model of societal governance was actually more helpful for towns to
survive, as people saw their neighbors close up, affluent, indigent,
etc.

This could have an interesting application to museums.

I find this list immensely useful, not least because people bring in
other things that enrich my thinking about how I should improve my
non-profit or museum work.

Ale


>I would like, too, for my newspaper to only have stories in it that
>I'm interested in.  Not only does it waste valuable newsprint, and
>therefore make my paper more expensive, but I sometimes have to turn
>the pages several times before I find something I want to read.
>Thanks.
>--Todd Happer
>Scientific American
>
>
>On 1/29/02, Robyne Miles <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >It's always so amusing to me when I see people complain about the
> >number of
> >postings, etc. on these lists.  I find it especially amusing coming
> >from
> >Museum folk.  Can I come in to your place and tell you that you have
> >way too
> >much text on your signage, or that I don't like the content of your
> >exhibits
> >so please, cut back?
> >
> >Here's the "duh" statement: If you don't like something, don't read
> >it...
> >use your delete button often.  Read the subjects and simply read
> >what
> >appeals to you... And for crying out loud, if you actually have time
> >to read
> >every single thing on this list, then I don't see how on earth you
> >are doing
> >the rest of your job!
> >
> >Sincerely,
> >
> >Robyne, who has 518 unread messages from this list in my inbox, happily
> >waiting to be read or purged at my leisure.
> >
> >PS- Speaking of censorship, I watched the movie/documentary "Dirty
> >Pictures"
> >last night, on the Cinncinati/Robert Mapplethorpe scandal.  This
> >is a
> >fabulous watch, and a must-see for ANY museum professional!!!
> >--
> >"Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better
> >than not
> >to think at all." - Hypatia
> >--
> >Robyne Miles
> >Director of Operations & Volunteers
> >The Science Factory
> >www.sciencefactory.org
> >phone: 541-682-7882  fax: 541-484-9027
> >reply to: [log in to unmask]
> >
> >
> >
> >> From: Melinda Simms <[log in to unmask]>
> >> Reply-To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]>
> >> Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2002 13:33:17 -0500
> >> To: [log in to unmask]
> >> Subject: Re: Job seekers, frequency of postings and the meaning
> >of life!
> >>
> >> You know, it's interesting to me to watch all this unfold. Sadly,
> >I too, who
> >> am usually a lurker am adding my two cents.
> >> I am currently a graduate student in Museum Studies. Many of you,
> >I'm sure can
> >> remember being in grad. school and how important the
> >> access to information becomes. I use this list and it's mesages
> >and
> >> information as a tool, every day. I print off posts of interest
> >or those with
> >> material or information I think will prove helpful in the future
> >and keep them
> >> all tucked away in files that I can access when needed. I refer
> >to this
> >> information for research papers, class discussions, or for guidance
> >when
> >> looking for a job, an internship, or different perspectives on
> >the
> >> profession. I have found all of Indigo's posts interesting. Frankly
> >I'm also a
> >> bit surprised by the folks out there who choose to comment
> >> negatively on the number of posts they receive- this is a listserv,
> >and as
> >> such, all posts, regardless of the number should be welcome. I
> >receive
> >> my posts in digest form, would that be an alternative for some
> >of you who are
> >> feeling bombarded by the number of e-mails clogging your
> >> mailboxes? The new messages come, once a day, nicely packaged in
> >one e-mail.
> >> There is also the option of viewing the messages online. I'm
> >> sorry someone who had so much information to contribute, that is
> >in many ways,
> >> applicable to us all, has been driven out of a forum to which she
> >> provided so much.
> >>
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