>Jim: Of course a visit to a Web site can be a compelling and complex experienc >e--just as many books (including museum catalogs) can be compelling and complex > So what? But if a surrogate for a museum CAUSED people not to bother visiti >ng the real museum, I'd think that was B-A-D! And if a museum invested more mo >ney in its Web site ("virtual" museum? how about "pseudo-museum"?) than in cons >erving and exhibiting its real objects, I'd say that was B-A-D! David points out a few things: 1. A surrogate for a museum (i.e., a web site) may cause people 'not to bother visiting the real museum'. 2. A museum may invest more money in its web iste than in conserving and exhibiting its real objects. David feels both of these are 'B-A-D'. Regarding the first point, I think it is unlikely that a visit to a web site would cause one to avoid 'real' museums. However, I don't have data to support this view. It is possible, and therefor we should consider that outcome. A time may come where 'real' museums are simple storehouses and centers for research and education, but actual 'visitorship' is no longer significant. Perhaps the visitor to the 'virtual museum' will be able to view and manipulate simulated objects, and achieve a level of interactivity not possible when dealing with the constraints involved in handling actual, often irreplaceable objects. Perhaps museums which do not explore the use of this technology while the technology is still in its infancy will find themselves to be in the same position of some charming old museums which haven't changed much since the 1930's and presently suffer from lack of support and funding. As for the second point, it seems highly likely that some museums may invest more in its web site than in conserving and exhibiting artifacts. I would guess that some museums already spend far more on outreach and educational programs than on conservation. Obviously enough money needs to remain available to preserve our collections and to make them available for research, but perhaps someday money will be better spent exhibiting objects virtually. Change is not 'B-A-D', although it can be frightening. So, have I been reading too much science fiction? Try reading Melissa Scott's Novel "Trouble and Her Friends". Very entertaining and possibly prophetic. Jim Jim Angus Director of Information Technology and Hypermedia Programs Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007 voice: 213/744-3317 fax: 213/746-2999 eMail: [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask]