On 3/3/08, Nina Simon <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> --there is not currently a viable monetary reason to create a visitor
> experience in Second Life or virtual worlds. Then again, what museum has
> created a revenue-generating website? Similarly, what museum website has
> eroded real museum attendance?

That's an invalid comparison. The purpose of websites is not to create
a visitor experience but primarily to convey information about the
museum. I wouldn't go to Second Life to get information about when the
museum was open or to find directions to the museum.

While museum websites don't directly generate income unless you have
an online shop, they do increase attendance. People don't know you
exist unless you get your information out there and the way people
find information these days is through the web - not Second Life.

The question we should be asking is "What can Second Life do that we
can't do with physical exhibits or a website?" We shouldn't be trying
to recreate something in a virtual environment that already exists in
the real world. We should be creating things that people can't
experience or easily experience in the "real world" that compliments
the existing museum or collection.

Deb

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