Ben Rapaport's New Virtual Museum...

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fred

Lifer
Mar 21, 2010
1,509
4
I've just recieved word from Ben about a project that he's been putting a lot of time into lately. Currently, it's still its embryonic stage, but is already starting to become an impressive resource. Ben thinks that it is an excitingly informative venue for championing antique tobacco pipes in all formats and mediums, and we'd like everyone who smokes or collects to know about its existence..., and I agree with him.
Public Relations Announcement (May 2011)
After many years of collaborative thought given to the idea of a virtual antique pipe museum residing on the most ideally suited platform today, the Worldwide Web, two avid collectors of these objets d’art have made it happen. This month, Daniel Beck and Ben Rapaport launch “The Tobacco Pipe Artistory” (a compound noun of art + history that we coined) on that ubiquitous Internet venue, Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Tobacco-Pipe-Artistory/101191206631918).
This site is wholly focused on the study and celebration of antique tobacco pipes in every medium from around the globe. Our objective is to create a singular, accessible ‘see-all—tell all’ Web site to the public populated not only with myriad images of antique pipes, but also containing relevant textual information to illuminate everything that befits this subject: photos; videos; pertinent articles in open sources; auction news; a selective bibliography; and related links. Additionally, there is a discussion forum for the exchange of information and ideas, in order to evolve a better, more universal understanding of these long-gone utensils of smoke, and to draw attention to the exceptionally skilled craftsmanship of thousands of unknown artisans who, for some 200 years, produced pipes in meerschaum, assorted woods, ivory, porcelain, clay, and various metals. As well, pipes in other mediums, such as bone, steatite, Catlinite, etc., from a much earlier era will be exhibited.
We believe that “The Tobacco Pipe Artistory” serves as a very unique clearinghouse for all who seek an informed and expansive education: pipe collectors, pipe smokers, researchers, curators, art students, personal property appraisers, historians, and tobacco industry personnel. We acknowledge that “The Tobacco Pipe Artistory” is now and will always be a work in progress, but with the contributions of others, it can gradually metamorphose into one of the most entertaining, instructive, and visually exciting venues on the Internet. Those who have something to say or show are encouraged to join as fans, participate, and offer their views and news. We welcome one and all!
Daniel M. Beck

Ben Rapaport

 

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,637
Chicago, IL
That's nice if you have a Facebook account. Those of us who don't want to be on Facebook are "shit-out-of-luck."

Do they mean to tell us they can't put up their own web page?

 

admin

Smoking a Pipe Right Now
Staff member
Nov 16, 2008
8,764
4,932
St. Petersburg, FL
pipesmagazine.com
I published it in our news category this morning. I also emailed Ben to tell him that a Facebook Fan Page is not the same thing as a web site. Although FB is huge, it is a closed system.
Only people with a Facebook account that are logged in can see the material, and search engines like Google are blocked from spidering the information.
The problem with this is that your audience will be limited, and at least cut by 50% - 60% of it's actual potential. You will get zero natural search traffic.
I still applaud any efforts to serve the pipe enthusiast community.

 

nemrod

Can't Leave
Apr 28, 2011
337
1
Sweden
Kevin: on the other hand you'll have the advantage of inherent social media marketing, but as pipe smoking is so rare it can't really show it's full potential unfortunately. And actually Google does crawl and index Facebook pages, but it's admittedly harder to rank with a Facebook page and so they should definitely get a proper website, but they should also keep up with the social media for sure.
I looked through the images, very interesting stuff! I wish there was more of that kind of innovative Meerschaum sculpting still around, almost only see the same things over and over again it feels like.

 

admin

Smoking a Pipe Right Now
Staff member
Nov 16, 2008
8,764
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St. Petersburg, FL
pipesmagazine.com
@nemrod
And actually Google does crawl and index Facebook pages
Only if the page is automatically public, and theirs is not right now. I had to login to see it.
Plus, FB has all kinds of iframes and other things that, as you said; "it's admittedly harder to rank with a Facebook page". Yeah, outbound links are given the nofollow tag, so they count for zero as far as rankings.
This is fun. We'll have to talk more SEO and website stuff, but we'll probably bore the piss out of everyone else. LOL.
And yes, I agree that most of the Meerschaums I see are all the same rotation of designs.

 

hilojohnny

Lifer
Oct 2, 2010
1,607
0
I have to be a Facebook member?....I believe there are many pipesters like myself who will bristle at this notion. I guess I'll have to just walk on by this Museum without going in....the Facebook Antis will probably drive it out of business in short order...

 

nemrod

Can't Leave
Apr 28, 2011
337
1
Sweden
Kevin: Haha yeah, you're right, I didn't check if theirs was public or not. It's pretty much a non-issue though as it's just a setting. :)
I think the iframes are just for apps (but don't quote me), if you don't use any or use apps that don't use iframes (I've developed both ways) that's not an issue. While outbound links does contribute slightly (there's plenty of debating to be done about this, some think it's a major ranking factor while others rank it equally to most other minor on-page factors or disregard it completely and recommend not linking out, what's your take?) it's the inbound links that are the biggest factor, and they'll work similarly to how they normally would. The biggest issue is probably getting proper SEO'd (alt attribute on images, proper heading structure with loads of text content for longtail etc.) content on there and of course all the bloat going on around it. :(
Yeah, for sure, SEO is definitely an interesting topic, particularly because it's all based on correlations and conjecture. :D I'm originally a developer though and have recently started to shift my work back more towards web- and Android development :)
hilojohnny: As of right now it would seem you need a Facebook account, but if they change the setting to make the page public anyone will be able to view it. :)

 

admin

Smoking a Pipe Right Now
Staff member
Nov 16, 2008
8,764
4,932
St. Petersburg, FL
pipesmagazine.com
Nemrod, yes. I'm sorry. I was talking from the viewpoint of using FB to promote a site. 1-way inbound links are hugely important in getting rankings, so this could help promote a FB Fan Page as long as it is public. You are right. Their code is bloated beyond belief though. View the source on a FB pg. It's unreal.

 

nemrod

Can't Leave
Apr 28, 2011
337
1
Sweden
They just posted this meerschaum:
230458_114533901964315_101191206631918_134995_1477940_n.jpg

I'm stunned. I wonder how much it would cost to custom order one of those today? xD

 
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