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he BetaSpace project is an online destination for artists
to display, view and collaboratively create works
of new
media art. The two core components that make up the BetaSpace
project are the galleries, where artwork is
exhibited
and highlighted, and the BetaSpace communities, where
digital artists gather to connect and collaborate
with
one another.
During the course
of the project the BetaSpace team sought the answer
to the following questions: how can we build a more
innovative
online community for personal and group artistic expression?
How can we use the Web as a more artistically expressive
medium, as opposed to a medium for commerce?
The answer comes in a multi-part format,
the first in response to the question of innovation.
The BetaSpace project focuses on innovation in the
following ways:
1) Emphasis on collaboration
within the community rather than just exchanging information.
2) The focus on a distinct
exhibition space that is appropriate for the Internet.
3) The fusion of a community
movement and a gallery environment online.
4) Emphasis on incorporating
as many media formats as possible.
In addition, the building of a community
requires thought on how to actually connect people
online. This part
of the thesis can be summed up in the BetaSpace Methodology
for Community Development:
1) Recognize the needs of a user and
satisfy those needs, rather than a generic set of
usability criteria.
2) Promote communal activities that
encourage community development among members.
3) Build a community based around an ethos rather
than an information exchange.
4) Provide people with a way to train themselves
on the rules of the community.
5) Reward active members of the community by giving
them leadership positions.
6) Use other communities online to help build your
own.
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