On Fri, 25 Aug 1995, Robert A. Baron wrote:

> On Thu, 24 Aug 1995 Christopher Whittle <[log in to unmask]>
> said:
>
>
> >This is self defeating.  Why even bother cyberspace with low res garbage.
>
> >People will not visit low res sites as there will be too much information
> lost
> >and there are so many sites providing high quality images to view.
>
> I can't imagine anyone choosing a web site simply because it offers high
> resolution images.  Unless on an electronic serendipity, people visit web
> sites, I imagine, because of the content offered.  Resolution is not
> content.  Indeed, when I visit a site that insists on showing me high
> resolution images, more often than not I'll turn off the images or leave
> the site.  At the rate my web browser works (and most everyone else's with
> dial-up connections) "high resolution" just means "stay away, go to the
> library and use a book."  For most web work, low resolution "garbage" is
> what I want.

I am blessed with state of the art equipment that allows me to see detail
in all its glory. Why study a postcard when a poster is available. Why
use a picture in a book if the original is available.

>
> Someday this will all change.  We'll fly through the low resolution
> catalogues of on-line image repositories and download (at a price) a
> resolution and a license to suit our needs.  In the mean time, let's
> reserve our snooty aires for something really worthless.

Depending on one's definition and their application low-res is
worthless.  I am a scholar and I require the finest images
technologically possible to do my work.  True, the average netsurfer is
probably OK with thumbnail size pictures.  Do you advise your museum
clients to buy "snooty" 486 & 586 computers for their exhibits so they
can display high quality graphics in color, quickly?  From your post it
seems that
you are a "what's good for the goose is good for the gander" consultant-
although I suspect that you were just having a bad hair day.

In the original post I was detecting a "snooty" 'we own it if you want to
see it come to the museum and see it' attitude.  If you are going to put
it on the WWW put the best images you can create on and let the lawyers
do there thing.  If that is a big concern and a museum doesn't feel that
they want to jump into the fray- and give the public their best- they can
wait.



> --
> ______________________________________
>
> Robert A. Baron
> Museum Computer Consultant
> P.O. Box 93, Larchmont, NY 10538
> [log in to unmask]
>