[log in to unmask] wrote:
>  nor am I interested in becoming a computer nerd and trying to or have
>      tailored new software.

Just because I spend hours at the computer each day, and just because I
have written my own collections management program, and just because I
debug and re-configure all nine of the computers at work, and just
because I am, even now, using a computer, does this make me a nerd?

Actually, I can empathize with you on the standardization problem with
computer software.  However, I do not think the problem is one of
nomenclature, as there ARE standardized nomenclatures in use within the
museum comunity.  (See the Chenhall Nomenclature book published by
AASLH.)  The problem of standardization stems more from a lack of
standardized PROGRAMS and platforms.  In other words, the software that
works best for your museum may not work best for my museum.  (Remember, I
am a computer nerd, so I probably use different software than you do.)
With all of the available database programs on the market, each with
short-comings and positive points, someone needs to develop a feasable
means to transfer (and translate) the different database files from one
format to another.

Would any of you other nerds like to try this?


Jim McCrain
Chief Curator
Old City Park
Dallas, Texas
214 421-5141
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