SAN FRANCISCO, CA — (Marketwire) — 03/15/12 — opens on March 27, 2012. The museum records and interprets computer-based ways that people communicate, such as email, social media, instant messaging, texting, and videoconferencing.
Computer-based communication can be traced back to 1965, when the was sent. As David Ferris, Executive Curator of the Museum, observes, “Since then, computer-based communications have turned the world upside down. In our personal lives, we use them to arrange dates, we reach out to distant loved ones as if they were next door. In business, tiers of management have been removed, business cycles compressed from weeks to hours. In politics, dictators have toppled, oligarchies converted to pluralist societies.”
Why the museum? Ferris explains: “Most of the early innovators are still alive, and the record of the technologies- evolution is still rich. We have a wonderful opportunity to record and interpret their development, in a way that wasn-t done with other equally momentous developments in human communications, such as the spoken word, the book, the postal system, and the telephone.”
The museum:
Is virtual
Has an initial archive consisting of 2,500 reports, conferences, and bulletins
Has an open management structure, much like Wikipedia
Invites all qualified visitors to contribute content
Is a not-for-profit charity, 501(c)(3) registration pending
The museum also offers sponsorship opportunities, starting as low as $295 annually. Details at
Get Involved
1. Join the museum-s launch webinar on Tuesday, March 27:
8:30am Pacific/11:30am Eastern/4:30pm UK/5:30pm CET. Duration 45 minutes
Details and registration .
2. Contact executive curator David Ferris by phone at +1-415-367-3436, or via
3. Browse or contribute to museum content by visiting
4. Sponsor the museum: visit
5. For more information about the museum, visit
What people are saying about the Museum
“The museum-s important, because it captures what happened from the people who were actually there. I-ve got involved because I-ve worked with communications technology for 30 years both as a user and a software engineer.” – Nigel Dutt, Founder of KVS, makers of Enterprise Vault
“From its beginning to nowadays, email development went through many technology changes. For me as a person who was involved in some aspects, it-s fun to remember and to contribute. The importance of the email museum for me is that it documents the rise of the very first computer based communication system, which had a profound impact on the way organizations operate and ultimately on the way of life of people.” – Ralph Ehlers, Project Manager,
“We-re living through a revolution in human communications of unmatched scope and magnitude, and the museum is a tremendous opportunity to document and archive each step along the way. Not only will the museum document past ventures- successes and failures, but it will also provide real business and educational value in helping predict future trends.” – Kieron Dowling, CEO,
“The museum serves as an important reminder that things can and will change. For example, at one point in email history something called X.400 was set to be the standard for business email exchange and a lot of investment was sunk into the technology by many large organizations. Organizations should expect change, embrace it and budget for it over the years to come.” – Barney Haye, Managing Director,
CONTACT INFORMATION:
David Ferris
Executive Curator
The Museum of Email & Digital Communications
+1-415-367-3436
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