Hello there,
Nice to finally be able to post!
I will be presenting in class tomorrow and my topic is on Online Museums and Exhibitions. My interest was sparked after I read this report http://anthropology.si.edu/leopold/class/survey_print.pdf … it is the findings from a company called Altered Images that creates online exhibitions for museums. Altered Images interviewed museum professionals on their concerns and ideas for online exhibitions so that Altered Images could improve the quality of their work. The findings were interesting and caused some introspection, especially the line “Museum objects touch our soul and embody human stories. I look at online, as well as actual, displays of objects as telling the story of the human enterprise, I think that’s what engages people.” Cheryl Palmer, VP of Education and Public Programs, Mint Museum 
I was thinking of what museum exhibitions engaged myself, I looked at the example of the ROM’s exhibit called ‘Observance and Memorial’, which was focused on the Khmer Rouge’s rule in Cambodia in the 70s and the photographs taken of citizens in ‘reeducation camps’. I visited both the online exhibit, http://www.rom.on.ca/en/exhibitions-galleries/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/observance-and-memorial-photographs as well as the live exhibit. I found myself far more attached to the subject matter when actually visiting the exhibition. While browsing the content online I was also listening to music, browsing Facebook and this created a disconnect with the material. When there in real life I was emotionally invested and spent over two hours viewing every aspect of the exhibit. From this experience I would say that live exhibitions are superior, yet I wouldn’t have known about the exhibition if I had not first visited the online portion that piqued my interest. 
This experience differs with my experience of ‘The Museum of Broken Relationships’, this quirky museum exhibition is the creation of Yugoslovian artists that was coming to terms with the breakup of a long term relationship. The exhibit is a collection of items that held emotional significance in now defunct relationships from people around the world. This exhibition does tour, but has never reached the ROM, or anywhere close to where I could get to reasonably. However, their online exhibition is so great  I can still experience the content, while being halfway around the world from where it is being shown. Here’s the link – http://brokenships.com/en/visit/the_exhibits 
Just wondering what your guys thoughts are on online exhibitions and museums. Love/loathe/indifferent? I’ll be presenting more content tomorrow and am looking forward to feedback! 
Thanks! 
Dana  [...]