In 2009…

It’s been a few weeks without a new posting. This is almost entirely due to preparations for the Transformations in Cultural and Scientific Communication Conference which is only 4 weeks away now!!!!

In the moments between getting that ready I’ve just finished a paper with Darren Peacock on rewarding participation in social media initiatives. I have to admit that it was harder to write than I anticipated. There is of course excellent analysis and data from Seb Chan and Courtney Johnston regarding the early Commons initatives, but there remains a remarkable disconnection between audience experience and organisational expectation. This seems to result in a number of initiatives which can be described as successful for the organisation yet are difficult to pin down in relation to audience experience. This isn’t unusual but it is something we’ll be looking at in 2009 through the Engaging with Social Media Research project. Most of the projects we are covering at the Australian Museum are now on the http://museum30.ning.com/group/engagingwithsocialmediainmuseums

We’ll be undertaking a great deal of field work for the project this year, looking to add to the knowledge around museum learning and communication in the area of social media. I’m particularly excited in how the Transformations conference has elicited thoughtful and provactive discussion – which you will find out more about as we get closer to the day!

Over the next few weeks I will attempt to think deeply about these issues in preparation for our illustrious guests! In the meantime, we look forward to more participation and discussion on the ning site!