os4 museums
DESCRIPTION
Open Source for Museum ProfessionalsTRANSCRIPT
Open Source for Museum Professionals
Who Am I?
Rob Stephenson
biologist
Curator, Tech Virtual
What is Open Source?
When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom, not price. … freedom to distribute copies … (and charge for this service if you wish), … (to) receive source code, … (to) change the software or use pieces of it in new free programs….
- GNU Public License
Powerful, reliable software and improved technology are useful byproducts of freedom, but the freedom to have a community is important in its own right.
- Richard Stallman
Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) Defined
FOSS/Open Source Principles
Freedom to use
Freedom to redistribute
Freedom to adapt and improve
Freedom to release improvements, so entire community benefits
Obligation to contribute back to the community
Sharing and Collaboration are Basic Human Values
Open Source Museum Exhibits
Links
• http://TheTechVirtual.org
• The Tech Virtual in Second Life: on The Tech Island
• Me: Rob Stephenson, [email protected]
Museums in a Virtual World - Are You Serious?
Is this:• A scientific experiment?• A commercial venture?• A joke?• Chasing a fad?
Why The Tech Museum is in Second Life
1. Access and interaction. Reaching visitors that can’t come to San José.
2. Rapid prototyping. Using SL’s 3-D tools to test exhibit concepts, gallery designs.
3. Open source design. Teams of strangers compete to design exhibits. We choose the best and build them for the real museum.
Access and Interaction
Rapid Prototyping
1 23
4
The Story of an
Open Source
Museum Exhibit
Exhibit Creation Process
idea & sketch
museum floor
Virtual
thetechvirtual.org
Second Life
EOD
Economics
• Currently funded by a grant from Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation.
Cost of building one new interactive exhibit:
Traditional method 18 months $60,000 US
SL/Open Source 6 months $40,000 US
The Future
• Rapid exhibit turnover
• More modular exhibits
• A bazaar for exhibit ideas
• An open source exhibit economy
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California 94305, USA.