New Media Initiatives

Web 2.0: what's the big idea?

• The web is decentralizing. While most users still turn to the big portal sites as their entry into the web, they no longer control the news and information.
• The web is no longer a "publish and sit back" sort of enterprise. Sites need fresh content and -- above all -- user interaction.
• Anyone (literally) can create coherent and important content for the web. Web users are building communities around this idea of "social media" where they can contribute, rank, or just consume content.
• They'll come to you if you appear where they are:
  • blogs, Myspace, Youtube, flickr, RSS readers, Last.FM, blip.tv

What sort of interaction are you looking for?

• artist to audience (or producer)
  • the most basic and probably essential
  • the tools are available now to expand beyond a traditional "portfolio" site
  • Sue Lawty, artist in residence at V&A
  • Peter Mayer -- one of this year's finalists!
• artist to artist
  • e.g. pro2pro blogs like Walker's New Media blog
  • technique blog - how things are done
    • useful to peers, interesting to hardcore fans, less so to casual browsers, but still good content
• audience to audience (fan to fan)
  • if you're lucky enough to be somewhat established and have "fans", the next step is to connect them to each other. Comment sections, forums, feedback, idea submissions, polls, user-created content.

Learning 2.0

• 23 things
  • A fantastic step-by-step intro to Web 2.0 ideas and technologies. Set up as a nine-week program where each week you explore a different communication tool: blogs, flickr, youtube, rss, wikis, podcasts. Clearly written for non-technical people, this is the best overall introduction to many of these tools I've seen.

Blogging notes:

• Links from "Becoming an Internet Phenomenon
• Why blog, how to blog, stats, and more

Reality check

• Not for everyone.
• Takes serious commitment and time
  • but nothing to be lost by playing and trying some free tools to see if they take!
• Can be hard to justify ROI
  • But: Walker blogs are now the most-hit section of our site! Brooklyn Museum's biggest referrer is flickr!