Date: Wed, 18 Jun 1997 12:55:49 -0400 To: mc...@world.std.com From: "Robert A. Baron" <raba...@pipeline.com> Subject: Re: MCN Policy on Vendors Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
re: Jennifer Trant's objection to MCN vendor policy I agree with Jennifer here and wish, further, to remind MCN members of the long-standing and productive relationship MCN and its members have had with the vendor community. Vendors have taken a major role in the development of MCN as an organization and have contributed their expertise as board members and as participants in annual meeting sessions, some of which were specifically defined for the vendor community. In some ways the very discipline that MCN is here to support owes itself to the work and ingenuity of vendors. Further, the distinction between the self-interest of vendors and the lack of self-interest of the non-vendor community is false, misleading and promulgates a fiction and an inaccurate stereotype. It is just as important to one group as to the other that their products and services investigations succeed. If the pay-back differs in each case, nonetheless it all comes down to the same thing: it puts food on the table and provides means to pay the landlord. The policy Jennifer quoted is also short-sighted in its lack of acknowledgement of the fluid interchange between the vendor and non-profit communities. How many vendors have come from the museum and non-profit communities? How many vendors and their employees return? How many do both at the same time? I believe all people who have something valuable to contribute to MCN should be encouraged to do so. To avoid the slightest hint of conflict of interest, all contributors should indicate in the formal schedule of the conference or near the by-line of their articles their current affiliation. Robert Baron consultant raba...@pipeline.com At 07:18 AM 6/18/97 -0400, Jennifer Trant wrote: >Date: Fri, 13 Jun 1997 17:15:50 -0500 >To: mc...@europe.std.com >From: jtr...@archimuse.com (J. Trant) >Subject: Museum Computer Network, Conflict of Interest Policy > >Dear Guy, Kathy, MCN Board and Members, > >I've just learned of the following MCN Policy, as an appendix to a note >regarding participation in the upcoming MCN meeting in St Louis. > >>>*Museum Computer Network Conflict of Interest Policy* >>>Please take note of the following policy: >>> >>>The Museum Computer Network (MCN) values commercial vendors and service >>>providers as important members of the museum community and welcomes their >>>participation in the conference program. >>> >>>MCN cannot, however, endorse or appear to endorse, the products and >>>services of any individual commercial enterprise. >>> >>>Therefore, if commercial interests/enterprises take part in conference >>>sessions or workshops as speakers or instructors, they must not promote or >>>advocate their products or services, nor should they chair or moderate a >>>session. > >When and why did MCN adopt such a policy? Where was it discussed? Did the >members have an opportunity to comment? > >As we all know, the nature of work in technology in musuems is such that >most of it is completed by contractors and consultants. If MCN chooses to >exclude a significant portion of its constituency from the shaping of its >program, it is shooting itself in the foot. The majority of experitise and >experience in this field is moving into the 'private' sphere. > >jennifer >[who makes her living working FOR and WITH museums] > >-------- >J. Trant jtr...@archimuse.com >Partner and Principal Consultant www.archimuse.com >Archives & Museums Informatics >5501 Walnut St., Suite 203 ph. + 1-412-683-9775 >Pittsburgh, PA USA 15232-1455 fax + 1-412-683-7366 >-------- > > >
