1599 Why I like Life Online

I became all exited when I discovered Life Online. I  discovered that it was a permanent gallery of the National New Media Museum, which is part of the National Media Museum in Bradford (UK). I did not know that it existed and did not know that the National Media Museum consists of: 
- the National Photography Collection;
- the National Cinematography Collection;
- the National Television Collection;
- the National New Media Collection.

I like that combination of collections in one museum. In the Netherlands we have two photo museums in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. The Cinematography Museum has just openend with a beautiful designed building in Amsterdam. The National Television Museum is located in a beautiful building in Hilversum under the title Institute of Image and Sound; besides an experience center it is also an expertise centre for radio and television archives. And as we spend so much money on separate buildings, no more money is left for a New Media Experience in the Netherlands, certainly not in this economic dip.

In line with the publication of my book on Pre-internet history (Toen digitale media nog nieuw waren - Pre-internet in de polder (1967-1997)) I produced a presentation of a New Media Experience and Expertise Centre and called it Digiworld. Having seen the National New Media Collection, it gave me more inspiration and I will have to update the presentation.

I made some presentations to municipal institutes in Almere, my home town. The city is the latest new town in The Netherlands and belongs to the Northern New MediaWing, ranging from the cities of Haarlem, Amsterdam, Almere, Hilversum, Amersfoort and Utrecht. Almere is in need of a real attraction, according to Almere City Marketing; so why not a New Media Experience Centre and Expertise Centre.

Another venue in The Netherlands could be the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, started by Philips and recently bought for 450 million euro by a group of investors led by Marcel Boekhoorn. In this way a very innovative environment would be put into perspective by a New Media Experience Centre and Expertise Centre.



The story of the internet (1969-1983) in 6 YouTube instalments

Part 1 - The First Time Two Computers Were Ever Connected
Part 2 - Vint Cerf & Bob Kahn Invent Code of Internet (TCP explained)
Part 3 - Three Networks Connect for First Time
Part 4 - Vint Cerf on the Birth of the Internet in 1983
Part 5 - The Rise of the Network
Part 6 - The Impact of the Web for Life Online

BPN 1598 World's first permanent internet gallery

Life Online, the world's first permanent gallery dedicated to the social, technological and cultural impact of the internet and the web, opened at the National Media Museum in Bradford, UK last Thursday. The opening was embellished with a video interview with one of the “fathers of internet” Vint Cerf, in which he tells that he never believed the internet would be so popular when co-creating it back in 1973. "We predicted that there would be 256 networks, two per country, and then 16 million computers per nation," he said. "We ran out of that IPv4 32-bit address space in February 2011." The Life Online gallery is located in the National Media Museum and has cost £2 million.It will cover two spaces and is being managed by Tom Woolley, curator of new media for the National Media Museum.

This permanent gallery will trace the history of the internet, uncover how it has changed people's lives and track the latest trends. The gallery covers two spaces within the Museum. The first is a permanent exhibition in the foyer with the second being a changing temporary exhibition on Level 7.

The Museum foyer area will contain a permanent exhibition that will track the history of the internet, from the first experimental messages to the rise of modern social networking. A range of inspiring interactives and fun games will explore the story of the internet, whilst a timeline of objects will showcase the evolution of internet and computing technology. The foyer narrative will be divided into four areas:
In the Beginning - The Internet is Born. Starting in the world of private military and academic computer networking the first section of the gallery will highlight the key innovators who helped lay the foundations of the network and track the growth of the technical infrastructure that formed the internet. Find out who invented the internet and watch as it grows around the world.
Into the World - The Internet Goes Public. After the formation of the first computer networks, the second area of the gallery will explore the early days of online communities. From the first email, to the first home-grown virtual societies, the gallery will uncover the first forays into social networking. The section will conclude with the birth and impact of the World Wide Web. Build your own web page, take a trip in the web time machine and try to protect the internet against some of the world’s deadliest viruses.
Into Our Lives - The Internet and You. The birth of the web ushered in a new era of information sharing, online tools and opportunities that have made the internet an integral part of everyday life. Search engines, online business, personal privacy and the online communities that create the rich and dynamic culture of the modern internet will be explored. See if you’ve got what it takes to become a dot com millionaire, secure your online privacy and contribute your opinion to the gallery.
Into the Future - The Internet Evolves. The final part of the foyer gallery will track the latest internet trends and technology. Through partnership with industry and academia, new concepts, experiments and prototype devices will encourage the visitor to think about where the future of the net is heading. Contribute to digital artworks and see the latest experimental ideas from the digital world.