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One of the magical properties of the internet is that it enables us to jump around and learn about things we never even imagined could exist. But it also poses a problem that impacts how we need to address the writing and organization of museum websites.

The intent of most museums is to educate and inspire, to pose questions and to display things of great interest, beauty and historic meaning. Curators do this by telling a story or series of stories with words and objects, and increasingly, with multi–media.

Museum exhibits are often carefully laid out to encourage visitors to follow a certain physical path, a certain order of displays and information. They start their experience at a foyer or introductory point and end it by walking out a door or gate. When I began writing educational material for the internet several years ago, I made the mistake of assuming that people would want to follow the development of a theme or even of a chronological series of events from "beginning" to "end" in a similar way. I thought they would read material like they would a book, going from the introduction to the last in a sequence of carefully researched sections. But the internet is called the web for a reasonÑ there are not too many straight paths to be followed, and what few there are can lead right off of one carefully created page and over to another.

There are guides to designing internet materials to make them succinct and user–friendly. I tend to avoid these resources, because they are generally for use by businesses, and I donÕt believe that business models should govern the presentation of knowledge. What they do provide, however, is a careful examination of how the average person moves around web menus and options presented on internet home pages. They will zig and zag looking for appealing titles or key words relevant to their interests and click on those links.

That is a significant point, because if all you have working for you is a menu, make it a spectacular one. You donÕt have to call a section of your site about sailors "Hygiene", when you can call it "Soap?: Memorable Smells of Life Aboard Ship." (Perhaps that speaks to my own interests rather than good menu production, but it is an illustration of the point.)

The main concern is taking a broad subject matter and breaking it down into smaller sections, whether you are focusing on the life of an artist or the history of chickens. Much like creating exhibit text panels, this requires self–restraint on the part of the verbose writer, careful editing for length and attention to how information is organized. Newspapers put the most important facts at the top of the story and fill in the details later. This is a good strategy for internet writing as well ? a consistent hierarchy of information keeps themes and writing sharp.

Finally, the overall approach to information itself needs to shift. Walls and plinths arenÕt keeping your visitor on course, so you canÕt write a chronological account and expect it to make sense. Start with a brief but carefully composed introduction that explains the intent of your project. Divide your information into themes, or devise a series of questions that can be posed and answered on each "page" of your site. (You can always include a timeline for the chronologically challenged.) Thinking about word choice, a hierarchy of information and the division of your subject into themes will maintain the flow, accuracy and integrity of your online exhibit, at least until the internet devises the equivalent of the velvet rope.

Angela Andersen (angela@zeroonedesign.com) is not a geek herself, but frequently associates with them. (Case in point: she has happily worked as a researcher and writer with Zero One Design Inc. (www.zeroonedesign.com) since 1999, and they are about as geek-ey as they come.) Angela holds an MA and has focused her academic and professional research on art, architecture and intercultural interactions.