>WAIT! Before you set up a new list on a museum-related topic, I plead with
>you to initiate discussions of that topic right here on MUSEUM-L (I mean,
>discuss publishing, not discuss whether to have a new list about publishing).
 
 
        I have to completely agree with Peter.   I think the ISSUE
of on-line publishing is one that needs to brought to the attention
of all museum professionals, and especially so the ones that are
technological literate, the ones that understand the technologies that
now exist.  These technologies are going to have a tremendous impact
on the way that information is presented to people.  Projects like
image databases and on-line museums are really in their infancy.  The
tools are still not widely available and still fairly clunky.  However,
spectacular growth is occuring, and soon the tools will be good enough so
that a mass audience will want to use them.  There are too many creative,
hard working individuals in these areas to prevent this from happening.
Having said that,  I think that factioning into the "pro-technology"
and the "anti-technology" cliques is the worst idea possible.  The
information that each person can share about on-line publishing can help
resolve these issues.  Issues cannot be resolved when preaching to the
converted.
 
Cheers,
 
Robert Guralnick | Museum of Paleontology | University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720 | [log in to unmask] | (510) 642-9696