I was sitting at lunch today talking with new friends from the Museum World about why I, an "Orchestra" person was at a conference for Museums and the Web.   

Well the first thing that popped into my mind was that there isn't an Orchestra and the Web Conference, nor has there ever been one, unlike the MW which has been going on for 12 years.  Thats Twelve Years...Were YOU even on the web 12 years ago???   Well I was, but barely.  There are over 600 amazing people here, from 32 countries from around the world.  Hello.

This got me thinking, about why is it the Museum world is doing all this amazing and hip stuff on the web, while I observe only a fraction of it on the Orchestra side.  Why is it that Museums are coming together in this way - discoursing on "The Semantic Web" and "Mash-Ups" and "The meaning of Open Content", Tagging Consortium, and what is really 'community" and "the place of openness, value, trust, give" and and and....   Inquiring minds want to know.

Well a provocative friend of mine said...  "Well its like Geisha's and high priced Call Girls.  The Museums, are a more passive experience, and so it takes more to make a connection, so circumstances require them to be like these  wonderful Geisha's that spend the entire evening and night with you listening and entertaining and discovering you.,  whereas orchestra's are like expensive call girls who just give you a quick hour or so experience without paying a whole lot of deep attention."   

Is that it?  Is there more to it then that?   I think so, but what do you think?