It seems like a long time ago that I wrote a post here about how I was going to start using Twitter even though, like many at the time, I didn’t know what I was going to actually use it for.  This was back in September of 2008 when I wrote “The Twitter in My Mind,” and while this was only a couple of years ago, in Internet time 2008 seems like a long, long time ago.

While some important uses for Twitter have developed globally—especially around politics and sports—and many cultural institutions and art folks use it in interesting ways, Twitter still seems like an insider’s club.  Said another way, if you’re not using Twitter, you probably don’t have a use for it; in fact I think those that don’t use it generally get tired of hearing about it, and all the jargon that goes along with it.  After all, who could actually like the word “tweet” or want to work out a suitable past tense for that word.

But after more than two years, I think I’ve finally found a reason for folks interested in art conservation to use Twitter without, well, actually using Twitter.  Using the web-based application Paper.li, I’ve created Art Conservation Daily to summarize all the tweets about art conservation from the past 24 hours.  This online newspaper is auto-generated from my list of about 150 people that regularly tweet about art conservation.

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Filed under: Around the Web, Art, Conservation

One of the long-term goals for a museum curator is to put together a catalog of the collection under their care. With the advent of the web this project has gone beyond the printed page and given the writer a whole new set of options. Unlike a publication, a web catalog allows the writer to add works as they are acquired instead of having to produce another book sometime in the future, change entries as new information becomes available, and correct mistakes that would forever remain in print. Flexibility is one of the major advantages of putting a collections catalog on the web.

The journey from concept to completion of the catalog for the American collection began more than two years ago with a compilation of the material that would be necessary to begin the project. Nothing could begin without a complete list of the American collection. For this project the list took the form of a printout which contained each piece in the American collection organized by its accession number, the order in which it came into the collection. For example 2008.352 was the 352nd piece to come into the collection in 2008. It was then necessary to ascertain from this list the works to be included in the web catalog. The remarkable aspect of a web catalog is that once this decision is made there will always be the opportunity to create more entries in the future.

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Filed under: Art, New Media, Technology

I got into a fight with my friend in public the other day.

OK, not so much a fight, as a discussion. And when I say ‘in public’ I mean on my Facebook wall.

It all started when I retweeted @anarchivist (see below) and then it ended up on my Facebook page too. Anyway, the ‘discussion’ played out like this:

ME: I agree. RT @anarchivist hates the phrase “social media.” all online media is inherently social even if you dont want it to be.

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Filed under: New Media, Technology

I’ve never been a big fan of MTV.  Let’s face it, it hasn’t been “Music Television” in over a decade.

However, according to the LA Times, MTV is launching a ‘new media’ series, $5 Cover, on multiple platforms (from silver screen to small screen to, er, iPod screen) that will “meld reality TV and indie cinema.” Even though the phrase ‘reality TV’ makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit, at least they’re trying, right?

$5 Cover promises to capture the flavor of the local Memphis music scene with real musicians playing themselves, orchestrated by filmmaker Craig Brewer, writer-director of “Hustle & Flow.” Check out the trailer for $5 Cover here (Oh, did I mention there’s roller derby?)

Image from fivedollarcover.com

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Filed under: Current Events, New Media

It’s hard to believe, but Facebook is kind of old.

As of this month, at the ripe old age of five, it’s ancient in Web 2.0 terms. But for being a senior citizen of the web, Facebook sure has managed to stay fresh and relevant. What started as a social experiment in Mark Zuckerberg’s Harvard dorm room has grown to capture over 150 million users.

icanhascheezburger.com

Here are some ways Facebook has managed to grow and adapt so far…

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Filed under: Current Events, Marketing, New Media, Technology