What is Flickr?
Flickr is an online community that allows individuals to share, view, and discuss photographs and photography-related topics with others. For more information about Flickr, or for help getting started, visit the Flickr website at www.flickr.com.

What kind of photographs does the Museum post to its Flickr account?
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Flickr account (www.flickr.com/photos/metmuseum) includes photographs from Museum-related special events, such as the Young Members Party or the Multicultural Audience Development and College Group at the Met parties that happen throughout the year. The Museum does not post images of works of art from the permanent collection or from special exhibitions on Flickr. For images of works of art, please see the Collection Database or Special Exhibitions.

Do I have to sign up for a Flickr account to view the Museum's photos?
No, the Museum's Flickr account is public and its photos can be viewed by anyone. However, you must create a Flickr account if you would like to join the Museum's Flickr group. (See below for more information about the Museum's Flickr group.)

Does the Museum have a Flickr group?
Yes, in addition to its main Flickr account, the Museum has also created a Flickr group (www.flickr.com/groups/metmuseum) that invites members of the community to upload, share, and discuss their own Museum-related photos. A Flickr account is required in order to join any Flickr group, including the Museum's Flickr group. (There is no fee to sign up for a standard Flickr account.)

Can I post my own images to the Museum's Flickr group?
Yes, we welcome your contributions to the Museum's Flickr group. The group is moderated, and published photos will be restricted to Museum-related images that are appropriate for a public audience. (Please note that there are limits on what may be photographed within the Museum. See Visitor Tips for more information about the Museum's Photography Policy.) Detailed instructions about uploading images are available on the Flickr website at www.flickr.com.

Can I publish images from the Museum's Flickr account or Flickr group on another website?
Images from the Museum's Flickr account may only be republished on noncommercial websites. This means that the site does not allow advertisements, does not have sponsors, does not charge a fee for services, and does not offer any product or service for sale. The images must remain unaltered and all of the accompanying caption information must be included without alteration. Images from the Museum's Flickr group may have restrictions, which will be indicated by the individual who has uploaded the photograph.

What is YouTube?
YouTube allows individuals or institutions to upload and share videos through websites, mobile devices, blogs, and email.

What kind of videos is the Museum posting on YouTube?
The Met has created its own YouTube channel in order to post special behind-the-scenes videos related to the Museum's permanent collection and special exhibitions, as well as other topics such as conservation and scientific research. New videos are added on a regular basis to the Museum's YouTube channel. You may subscribe to receive notifications whenever new videos are added.

Do I have to register to view the Museum's videos?
No. Anyone can watch one of the Museum's videos on YouTube.

Are the Museum's videos on YouTube also available on this website?
Not currently. Although we will eventually be adding video functionality to parts of this site, most of our online video is only available through YouTube or iTunes U (see below).

Can I post a video response to the Museum's videos or contribute comments to the Museum's channel?
Yes, we welcome your contributions to the Museum's channel, either in the form of video responses or comments. Please note that contributions will be moderated by the Museum.

Can I be "friends" with the Met?
Currently we are only accepting subscribers to the Museum's channel.

What do I get for subscribing to the Museum's channel?
You will receive announcements through your YouTube account when the Museum posts new videos.

What is iTunes U?
iTunes U is a part of the iTunes Store that is dedicated to free content provided by universities, museums, and public media organizations from around the world. Visitors may download videos, audio files, and other content to an iPod, iPhone, Mac, PC, or CD.

What is the Met publishing on iTunes U?
The Museum has created its own iTunes U page in order to post uncut, full-length videos of lectures and academic symposia. Topics include every area of the Met’s encyclopedic collection, as well as conservation and education, and new videos are added about once a week.

Do I need an iPod or iPhone to view the Museum's content on iTunes U?
No, but you do need the iTunes application (available for free) on your computer. Go to the Apple website for more information, or to download iTunes now.

Do I have to register to view the Museum's videos on iTunes U?
No.

Can I subscribe to the Museum's iTunes U channel?
Yes. If you subscribe, iTunes will automatically download new files to your iTunes Podcast or Movies folder. You may subscribe to receive all Museum content, or you may select particular areas of interest, such as African art or Asian art.

Are the Museum's videos on iTunes U also available on this website?
Not currently. Although we will eventually be adding video functionality to parts of this site, most of our online video is only available through iTunes U or YouTube (see above).

What is Delicious and how is the Museum using it?
Delicious is a social bookmarking service that allows individuals to tag, save, manage, and share Web pages from a centralized source. The Museum has created a Delicious account in order to share its lists of valuable online resources with the public. These lists may be of interest to educators, researchers, art librarians, and other art enthusiasts.

What is the difference between a bookmark and a tag?
A bookmark is the address of the Web page that is being shared. A tag is a word that is used to describe that bookmark in order to make it more accessible or more easily organized. One bookmark may have multiple tags. For example, for the bookmarked page www.metmuseum.org, one tag would probably be museum; another would be newyork.

Who manages the Museum's bookmarks on Delicious?
The Museum's Delicious bookmarks are managed by the curatorial staff and librarians of the Museum. Staff and researchers recommend sites they find interesting or that they frequently use.

What is Twitter?
Twitter is a free social networking site that allows people to send and read short text updates, or "tweets."

How do I see the Museum's tweets?
Anyone can see the Museum's tweets by going to www.twitter.com/metmuseum. You may also create a Twitter account and sign up to follow the Museum or respond to its tweets.

What does it mean to follow the Museum?
If you sign up to follow the Museum, you'll receive Twitter updates automatically.

Can I respond directly to the Museum in Twitter?
Yes! We welcome your responses. You may post a response, known as an "@reply," using @metmuseum.

Why does the Museum have a Facebook and a MySpace page?
The Museum has created Facebook and MySpace pages in order to reach out to people who already have Facebook and MySpace accounts and who are looking for another way to connect to the institutions that they love. Most of the information on Facebook and MySpace is already available on this website, but the Museum may send out special event notifications to its "fans" on Facebook and MySpace.

What is a feed?
A feed is another way for the Museum to share content with subscribers. By subscribing to one or more of the Museum's feeds (through a feed reader), you will receive special announcements, photographs, and other new content from the Museum.

What kinds of feeds does the Museum offer?
The Museum offers several feeds, including special exhibition listings, event listings, and the artwork of the day feed. See a complete list of the Museum's feeds.

How do I subscribe?
Feed subscriptions are set up through a feed reader. There are several types of feed readers, and they all accomplish the same thing. You may choose to use a Web-based feed reader (which means one that is available through your Web browser) or you may choose to download and install a feed reader as a program on your computer. You may subscribe to as many feeds as you like.

Web-based feed readers: Google Reader | Bloglines | My Yahoo | MSN | Live.com

More Web-based readers | Windows Feed Readers | Mac Feed Readers

What if I change my mind and I want to unsubscribe from a Museum feed?
You can unsubscribe at any time through your feed reader. You do not need to contact the Museum to unsubscribe to a feed.

What does "podcast" mean?
"Podcast" refers to a method of publishing audio programs via the Internet. Users may subscribe to a podcast "feed" to receive new episodes automatically or they may download and save selected episodes as individual audio files (MP3s). You don't need an iPod to listen to a podcast audio program.

How much do Met Podcast episodes cost?
Nothing! Met Podcast episodes are FREE, whether you download one episode or subscribe to receive all episodes automatically.

Are Met Podcast episodes the only audio programming the Museum offers?
No. The Museum's extensive Audio Guide program is also available at the Admissions Desks and at various locations throughout the Museum for a daily rental fee. Audio Guide players include Met Podcast episodes. Learn more about Audio Guide Fees and Programs.

How do I listen to a Met Podcast episode?
There are two ways to enjoy Met Podcast episodes:

You may also copy and paste this URL into a different podcasting tool:

OR:

2.	Download an audio program for your portable MP3 player.
	To download a specific audio file, right-click on the "Download the audio program" link (or Ctrl-click on a Mac) and select "Save Target As..." (or "Download Linked File" on a Mac) to save the file to your hard drive or audio player. Look for this icon:

If I sign up for an email newsletter, how does the Museum use my personal information?
The Museum does not use your personal information in any way and does not share it with any third parties. See our Privacy Policy for more information.

How many newsletters are there? If I sign up for all of them, how many emails will I be getting each month?
The Museum currently publishes four email newsletters: Met News, Special Exhibitions, Membership News, and Education News. These newsletters are each sent once a month, each in a different week within the month. The Met Store sends out two to four emails a month about special offers and sales, depending on the time of year.

Do I get any special discounts or offers if I sign up for an email newsletter?
Many of The Met Store emails include information about special offers or seasonal sales.

What if I change my mind and I want to unsubscribe?
No problem. Each Museum email includes an "unsubscribe" link, typically near the bottom of the email. You may also reply to the email and let us know that you would like to unsubscribe.