Tuesday, August 14, 2007

What do we need?

Is this enough? A blogger site to post things. I love it so far. Don't get me wrong. I posted last week about having the ability to do just about anything you all wanted as far as the web goes. I mentioned a chat room. There were no responses but I thought I'd put it out there again and ask if you all had any input on types of functionality to add to JaxCAL as I am seriously considering moving it over to my hosting provider and adding additional functionality.

I want to keep what we have here going and I'm going to import all of the content over if I do it. A page for gallery listings, a chat room, a photo gallery where users can openly submit images to show? Anything you think JaxCAL needs we can do with the Open Source tools that are available to us. I have a bucket load of tools I can use for free. I'd thought I'd ask again. Your input is definitely desired. Check out sites, like www.fecalface.com, and www.ourartsite.com to see how sites like ours can grow and grow. It's you guys who can make it happen. Afterall this is a community project. Really anything you can think of we can do.

Thanks...

bk

9 comments:

Byron said...

Okay. I used fecalface.com and ourartsite.com as examples not for the artwork on there but for the functionality. I do like a lot of the work on there though. Look how fecalface.com has user galleries. that's a great feature I think.

any functions like that that you see around on the web that could make our art community stronger. definitely tell me and I'll look at how we can make it happen. Maybe a calendar that people can automatically update with show events?

I thought chat room because often times I feel like we are sort of using this as a chat room. seems so anyways. I know they have a really bad reputation but with the right group (us) I think one would be really helpful.

Anonymous said...

I like your idea Byron. I liked it before and had written some feedback on it, but lost the post and never got back to it.

The next step for the web or this blog would be to make a larger hub like you're talking about. A site that incorporated many things and this sounding board was simply one of many great resources on it. The chat room sounds great, I really liked your idea of a running history of art in Jax. I too am often surprised when hearing about some great art project that happened not too long ago and I never knew of it. An account of these efforts would be useful to learn from.

The site should have an artist portfolio area and maybe a comprehensive list of gallery spaces, alternative/temporary spaces, and show opportunities. We could have a calender to keep each other informed of upcoming shows, call-to-artists, and grant deadlines.

Actually, a lot of this is reinventing what social network sites do for you. I (am probably alone on this) can't stand myspace. And we've had a thread on this subject before but myartspace.com and the saatchi art network don't work well either. There is however multiply.com that does work very well. It really incorporates, into one spot, all the best qualities of myspace, flickr, portfolios, calendars, and blogs. If you can't tell I'm a big fan.

Of course the problem with using any readymade social network is we'd all have to join and I'm sure you're all like me, not another one.

Byron if you're able to build a bigger JaxCAL my only input would be that everyone can add, edit, adjust, and comment. I don't mean like we're all going to try and change the background color. I mean like if I see some of your work in a portfolio section I can comment or there is an entry for the history of JMoCa I can add something to it. For instance didn't Bruce Dempsey help get JMoMa started. See I'm not sure but with a collective entry somebody else might verify and write in he was a part of JMoMa from 2001-2003.

Byron said...

great input Zac. I'm glad you like the idea. thanks you for commenting. I think it could be a very powerful tool for bringing us all closer together. I didn't see JaxCAL other than what it is at first, but now that it has actually evolved a bit I see there being more functionality that would be of great use to all of us.

.......
The site should have an artist portfolio area and maybe a comprehensive list of gallery spaces, alternative/temporary spaces, and show opportunities. We could have a calender to keep each other informed of upcoming shows, call-to-artists, and grant deadlines
.......


This is about the same page I was on with it. I definitely want to keep the core of it simple and have it be like it is now. A place for people to post ideas and get feedback. I do like the idea of having a wiki like tool for the art history of Jax that has the edit functions you mentioned.

I really appreciate the input. I'm going to get started on something with the functionality you and I have spoke about. I won't mess with this site until it's slick as grease lightning. Maybe I could run it by you when I have something to show you if you don't mind?

I'll have to check out the rest of those social networking sites you mentioned. The problem with social networking sites is that they are too big I believe. I mean I love My Space (sorry) and the fact that I can make contact with someone in Japan or Mexico is amazing. But it'd be really nice if I knew the artists I'm talking to are within driving distance. It makes me feel like we're all building more of a local network that is a neighborhood more or less. I mean Zac, I know we eventually will meet. I would think.

Anyways. Thanks so much. If anyone else has any input please do tell as I'm going to be outlining the sites requirements now. I'm going to be using Joomla if anyone knows web stuff. Open Source revolution meets Emerging Arts. I think it could work, or at least help.

Skinny Man Studios said...

i don't think this should be a sort of "social networking place" (get a myspace account) but I do think it would be cool to have aritst portfolios or online galleries to get feedback from locals. I also think it would be AWESOME to have "a comprehensive list of gallery spaces, alternative/temporary spaces, and show opportunities. ... a calender to keep each other informed of upcoming shows, call-to-artists, and grant deadlines" Jacksonville is just so spread out that it would be nice to have this info a click away.
I am not a native, but I love it here and would love to know more about the history of art in JAX so I think that is a must as well... guess I don;t really have any new Ideas myself, but I think all of these things would be a leap in the right direction for jaxcal

Byron said...

Yeha, you're right. I don't think what we're talking about is really reinventing social networking at all. I mean noone can really compete with My Space for that and that's not what I'm talking about really. Some of the functionality is similar though and I can see why Zac said that. Very similar actually. But what I'm talking about is really just taking what we have here and adding the essential elements that we need to be one click away for the rest of it.

Keep it a community site, but have all the functions we need as a community.

Thanks you guys for the input. Glad you both are interested in learning more about Jax History. I am also. I did a lot of traveling in my life. there seems to be a lot I missed while alive. And a hell of a lot when on before I was born in 74'.

It would be amazing to have a full acount of names and places that really made it happen. So we know where we are headed. It's very powerful to know the past.

thanks again...

Unknown said...

byron

great job by the way !
JAXCAL has gotten people going. and isnt that what its about? i think you are on the right track here and look forward to seeing what you will do from the comments. i will say look to the periphery. we are a strong region but that will not get pulled together unless someone like jaxcal makes it happen, opens peoples minds and perspective of who we are

let me just a paint a picture quick here:

we are jacksonville. 6 hrs from miami, 6 hrs from savannah, 6 hrs from charlotte, 2 hrs from orlando and 3 from tampa 9 from new orleans, 9 from nashville, 8 from ashville...............what i am saying is ..............we are a hub
an arts hub
at the corner of two of the most major federal highways i-10 and i-95
just in our immediate area we have :
scad
jetsum(spelling?) center in savannah
telefair
cummer
harn
jmoca
appleton
arts on douglas
atlantic center for the arts
jane gray
pedestrian projects
j.johnson
there is also a good gallery in fernandina
matiland art center
i am sure i missed a bunch of stuff so forgive me
but these inventory items are in our backyard
and most are in jacksonville
HUB BABY

Anonymous said...

I have used Dev Art for a while now http://www.deviantart.com/. I have found it to be a really great resource. A local version would be fantastic.

Byron said...

Zac,

Thanks man. That's a perfect example of a calendar tool that's successful. It's been hard for me to find the right one. I'll keep looking though. Lots of them out there that's for sure. That's the slickest one I've seen in a long time though.

Thanks again. I am moving forward with this that's for sure. Might take me a couple of months before I launch it though.

Keep your eyes pealed.

Anonymous said...

I stumbled upon this blog while doing a search on Saatchi. I don't agree with the comment about Myartspace.com not working well. I think it is great. I was featured the first week I joined their site and was invited to exhibit at a gallery in Seattle after only being on there for a month. I attended their competition winner exhibit in Chelsea and was surprised by the number of top curators that attended. It was crazy. Go to their site they just changed their front page.