I love the last line of this post. I’m coming at this as an inherently non-tech person who dabbles in tech ideas. I think there are lots of ways that museums can become platforms that are not inherently web-based. The social web is a great proving ground for the popularity and success of user-generated content, social networks, open platforms, mashups–a whole slew of things. But in museums, being a platform can mean modular exhibit design. It can mean reframing educators as community leaders and event organizers. It can mean tapping visitors for their own artifacts, stories, and connections.

To me, the problem is that most of the people who are dreaming 2.0 in museums are tech people, not exhibit designers, educators, and development folks. Which means the focus and projects get pigeonholed into the web division, instead of encouraging institution-wide innovation and change. The museum leaders feel like that’s “web stuff” and leave it aside, instead of thinking about how it can impact the museum more broadly. It’s our task, as the dreamers, to spread the vision more broadly so everyone can own and apply it.