Steve Eichner wrote:
"There certainly are a large number of institutions that have- or are in
the process of developing- websites. I am interested in learning more
about the relationship between the "virtual" and "physical" spaces not
only in terms of what materials are presented in each venue but, perhaps
more importantly,the consumers of that information. Specifically, I  am
curious about the distances involved in visits to each type of
environment as well as the intended purpose of the visit.
Steve Eichner, Graduate student, Landscape Architecture and Urban
Planning.....
Texas A&M University
Steve Eichner
[log in to unmask]"

I live in Australia and cannot physically visit say the Smithsonian due
to the obvious distance and economic constraints. However I do go,
physically, to other museums so essentially my motive is the same. So are
`virtual' and `physical' consumers of the same bent?

Museums all over the world are busing putting up home pages/sites on the
web. (Re: the present discussion). Would I be correct in assuming that
this was in the hope of outreach? Could it be that their wider audience
is just other museum bent people? (If you know what I mean). If this is
true then are they happy with doing this? Are their consumers happy with
it?
At least as far as I am concerned I have yet to vist a museum web-site
that I was entirely happy with because I am rather hooked on the idea of
experiencing the physical and everything that goes with it. At best, so
far, their websites have only sent me a post card from their museum. Can
they do more than this? Do they want to do more than this?

Jennifer
P.S All donations of flight-museum visit-accomodation packages gratefully
accepted!
--
Jennifer Nuske
Email: [log in to unmask]
Deakin University
Melbourne, Australia.