The purpose of the AEM Companion is to provide content that could not be included in the book that will expand on readers’ awareness and knowledge of the field.  It should not simply repeat content in the book but should expand on and add to it in a significant way by providing:

There are probably many other relevant forms of content. As you create content, you may figure out some useful tricks that will help other users. Please contribute to this help page by adding comments. Your feedback will help make the site as usable as possible.

The Companion is a collective, online encyclopedia, sort of like a Wikipedia of electronic art.  As such, its goal is to provide information that is accurate and objective, rather than opinionated.  It is probably impossible to create content that does not express one’s opinion (indeed, the selection of a work to include is itself an expression of an opinion of its worthiness).  However, the entries in the Companion should not be a vehicle for expressing one’s opinions.  The comments section for each entry is a more appropriate place to express opinions and I encourage you to use this area for discussion and debate.

There are two main parts to creating content:  1) filling in details; and 2) developing body content. I have provided details for both below.  The body content is your original contribution to the AEM Companion.  It is really what makes an entry most valuable to users of the site.  When creating content, imagine yourself as a user of the site and ask yourself the following questions:  What would I want to know about this artwork, theoretical writing, artist/theorist?  What sorts of images, videos, links, information would I want to see and have access to?

Books are wonderful interfaces that have certain advantages over electronic interfaces.  But digital interfaces can offer opportunities that books cannot.  In general, your entries should take advantage of those opportunities as fully as possible, by being rich in multimedia content, extended descriptions, and links.