Blog post 6: Maps & Virtual Spaces

 

I did my DH project analysis on the virtual tour of the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, so it was interesting to look back at some of these concepts after writing about it without the information from the book. The picture I have above is a screenshot from the virtual museum tour, it shows a display from the museum and represents the concept of virtual tourism pretty nicely. I think virtual tourism is a very neat thing that can help people access information or knowledge from places that they wouldn't otherwise be able to visit. In the example of the Natural History virtual tour, it helps people with financial or disability issues access the exhibits of the museum without expenditure of seeing the museum in real life. I felt that the museum did a pretty good job of replicating the experience but missed that mark on some parts that could have been more accessible.  When recreating places in a virtual space there are many factors that the creator should consider. I would say the main factors should be accessibility, sustainability, and the correct authorship. When making something accessible in a digital space it should be user friendly and be available on a variety of different platforms so that anyone can access the program no matter their device. I also think a virtual reality tour should be as close to the real thing as possible and be informative. So adding multiple features and angles to view the space should be a factor within these projects. As well as adding text boxes or audio clips of information so the viewer can understand what they are experiencing (this is especially important if it is a museum). When thinking about sustainability, the book brings up a good point about the mode of the platform. Will the platform exist in the next five years or will it have to change to a different platform? How much energy and money does it take to keep the project running? Looking at the correct authorship is also important, especially if it deals with places or cultures that do not exist anymore. It is important to accurately represent the space that is being broadcasted to a wider range of people. Having people on the project who can accurately portray the nuances of the project and bring out the correct information is very important. 

The VR tours on google highlights the factors, especially accessibility. There are so many museums from all parts of the world that host a variety of collections. I may never travel to the Hong Kong Museum of Art, but I can view the exhibits on my laptop, thus making it accessible to me.