Recommendation Engines

         While doing the reading in Nina Simon's book today I really started thinking. Now I cant say I completely understand the point of this chapter because while she has some good ideas, they cant really be used a whole lot in museums. The Recommendation engines seem like they would be a fabulous idea if the funding were available and they were relevant in all museums. These different recommendation engines are great when it comes to other forms of entertainment such as movies, books, or music, but when it comes to museums it becomes a little more difficult. Larger museums are able to do this a little easier because they have multiple galleries and exhibits. So it is much easier for them to tell visitors something like well if you like this object check out this other one that's in this gallery and so on. The art museums she discusses at one point is a larger museum and has the ability to direct the visitor to more impressionist painters or to whatever type of art they like. But when it comes to smaller museums they may only have one exhibit along with the permanent collection so it isn't as easy for them to direct their visitors to other objects that they don't have. The examples she gave were good examples but again not terribly relevant to museums and their visitors. I felt like she was trying to make a point and give ideas about these recommendation engines but she could have done a better job with it. It seemed like she was giving examples that work for other aspects of entertainment but then would throw in a museum as a side not so it could pass in her book. I think the recommendation engines would be good in museums but coming up with one that would actually work is the difficult part. I think if she would have given more examples or ideas, the chapter would have been a little more effective and helpful.