Comments on: If you were a friend of Mrs. Gauguin would you buy a painting? http://musematic.net/2009/10/21/if-you-were-a-friend-of-mrs-gauguin-would-you-buy-a-painting/ Rants and raves on the latest trends in the world of museum informatics and technology. An intrepid cast of experts from the Museum Computer Network and AAM's Media & Technology Committee share their insights, observations and tricks of the trade. Sun, 06 May 2012 03:15:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Diane http://musematic.net/2009/10/21/if-you-were-a-friend-of-mrs-gauguin-would-you-buy-a-painting/comment-page-1/#comment-16630 Diane Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:10:59 +0000 http://musematic.net/?p=819#comment-16630 And to add to the complexity is the issue of "degrees of separation." For example, there is no way I would buy Sarah Palin's soon-to-be-released book - I am so viscerally repelled by her views that I do not want to put a single cent into her coffers. But I do put many cents (via a membership) into the coffers of my local public library, which I am sure will buy the Palin book and add it to their collection. Now here's the quandary for me: I don't mind that my library will buy the book. I'm glad (well, "accepting" is perhaps a better word) , because I believe that libraries should make available books/media of all types - for First Amendment reasons and all that. So I won't buy the book, but I will support my library, who will buy it. Sometime you just have to hold your nose in the interests of a greater good. And to add to the complexity is the issue of “degrees of separation.” For example, there is no way I would buy Sarah Palin’s soon-to-be-released book – I am so viscerally repelled by her views that I do not want to put a single cent into her coffers. But I do put many cents (via a membership) into the coffers of my local public library, which I am sure will buy the Palin book and add it to their collection. Now here’s the quandary for me: I don’t mind that my library will buy the book. I’m glad (well, “accepting” is perhaps a better word) , because I believe that libraries should make available books/media of all types – for First Amendment reasons and all that. So I won’t buy the book, but I will support my library, who will buy it. Sometime you just have to hold your nose in the interests of a greater good.

]]> By: Ari Davidow http://musematic.net/2009/10/21/if-you-were-a-friend-of-mrs-gauguin-would-you-buy-a-painting/comment-page-1/#comment-16613 Ari Davidow Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:30:05 +0000 http://musematic.net/?p=819#comment-16613 Boy, talk about tough questions. This is a good time to ask it, since many of us are pondering whether it is okay for Roman Polansky to escape jail time for raping a 13-year-old these many years ago. I may be telescoping my own feelings on the issue when I note that I stopped using typefaces created by Eric Gill (including what was once one of my favorites, Gill Sans) when I discovered that engaged in incest with his daughter (daughters?). But, sometimes it depends. Being a jerk isn't to stop me from purchasing software or a book or a movie. I don't know enough about Gaugin's relationship to his wife (or what the consequences of the wastrel moving on to Tahiti were on her life) to know how I'd feel about purchasing his pictures. Boy, talk about tough questions. This is a good time to ask it, since many of us are pondering whether it is okay for Roman Polansky to escape jail time for raping a 13-year-old these many years ago. I may be telescoping my own feelings on the issue when I note that I stopped using typefaces created by Eric Gill (including what was once one of my favorites, Gill Sans) when I discovered that engaged in incest with his daughter (daughters?).

But, sometimes it depends. Being a jerk isn’t to stop me from purchasing software or a book or a movie. I don’t know enough about Gaugin’s relationship to his wife (or what the consequences of the wastrel moving on to Tahiti were on her life) to know how I’d feel about purchasing his pictures.

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