Hi George
Seems we are on the same page re the artist website page
Except that I advise to drop the "student" moniker : it's for
all artists who have taken the trouble to set up a website / blog / whatever
I'm probably ( almost) unique in this Forum in that I do brush shoulders with a lot of artists and pick up their name cards ( which, I should point out, are all copied into my data base) . Thus I do find out their web addresses by this means. But the names they choose for their websites are so totally obscure that there's no possible way a Google search engine could ever find them e.g Yu Nong's blog is blog.sina.com.cn/hhyyzz
Also they tend to use Chinese blog and website systems ( eg QQ ) which are 100% Chinese and totally non-understandable to western readers who can' t read Chinese
BUT ......... thanks to the magic of Google, if one goes to such Chinese websites
via Google ( i.e type in the website address
in the Google search bar) one can get an automatic translation via Google : it's not a very good translation, but it does work well enough to navigate the artist's site
I will work on Yu Nong and also Hu Xiaoran ( who is very computer - savvy) to try and get the message out to Hengshui and Shijiazhuang artists. It will take time but it will be worth it
There's also a few things happening that will help "tip" : No 1 being that that ICSBS will hold their annual convention in China - probably Beijing - in 2014. This will be a big thing and will surely make a huge difference as both ICSBS members and artists all learn to use computers much better.
If you think of the advances in the past 5 years what with Google, off-the-shelf Forum software , and US$100 iPad - type computers , the whole world is changing ( something I predicted several years ago re China and the Us$100 iPad thing as a tipping point)
I'm so happy that George set up the Forum when he did and that it already has such momentum. And enough momentum - I do hope - that no-one ever tries to set up a rival Forum. That would be a disaster.
We do need a "MSN" type 100% dominant system that crushes all other attempts so that eventually there's ONLY one place to go : THE FORUM .
And happy to see that Google search for "snuff + bottle + forum" still hits us as No 1 / top of the pops.
The Forum may have its failings, and members may come and go depending on their whims ( no names mentioned
) , but better just ONE FORUM than multiples and clones , which would eventually confuse everyone
I hope I have demonstrated my commitment to this Forum through thick and thin these past couple of years, and the reason is very simple : this is the best thing for MIPB since sliced bread !
When I fully retire in late 2013 I will do a lot more on the Forum, and that's a promise
Cheers
Peter
