Over a month later than previously announced, I've finally found a moment to sit down and try out a proposal for a new group affiliation for the CHArt subscribers on arts-humanities.net. For the background on this, please see my earlier post at:
http://www.arts-humanities.net/blog/neilgrindley/time_change

As a member of the CHArt committee (and an enthusiastic supporter of a-h.net) I'd like to say again that this urge to re-affiliate is simply about clarity. There is no other agenda.

I'd like to propose the formation of a new group on a-h.net that comes together under the name of EISIG (Electronic Image Special Interest Group).

The reason I'm proposing this group name is as follows:

• 'Electronic' rather than 'digital' to broaden the terms of reference beyond orthodoxies around pixel depth, resolution, format, calibration, workflow, metadata, standards, etc. Working with electronic resources implies acceptance of both the enabling and limiting functions of an equipment and energy-reliant mode of working. It goes beyond the challenge of effectively rendering images and examines modes of transmission, long-term integrity, sustainability and environmental impact.
• A focus on images and imaging maps out a slightly more applied territory for this group in a way that will hopefully inform, complement, and sit comfortably in parallel with the broadly cultural and theoretical interests of the CHArt group
• A 'SIG' (special interest group) implies to me an informal but focused group who wish to practically enagage in topics that have a technical basis.

  So ... unless anyone has a better idea, a better name or a better remit, I will make the necessary changes and all members of the CHArt group on a-h.net should automatically be members of the new group. You can then decide yourselves whether you would rather not be signed up to this new iteration of the forum.

  My first contribution is by way of a question ... I was speaking to a couple of people at a workshop in York recently and they asked me (in my role as Digital Preservation Programme Manager at JISC) whether JISC was thinking of funding any work in the area of preserving digital art. My response was - not at the moment - but it was certainly something I was extremely interested in looking into. JISC has funded work that looks at the 'significant properties' of various digital objects and I wonder whether there is mileage in doing the same with digital art objects. It would be good to hear from people with an interest in this area.

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