6.0393 History Network (Cross-Posted Announcement) (1/77)
Elaine Brennan (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Tue, 8 Dec 1992 19:17:53 EST
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 6, No. 0393. Tuesday, 8 Dec 1992.
Date: Tue, 08 Dec 92 14:13:32 CET
From: Thomas Zielke <113355@DOLUNI1.BITNET>
Subject: History Network - Announcement
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I am happy to announce the official formation of the History Network.
Many of you know that we have been discussing the need for a co-operation
between all history-related lists, FTP- and LISTSERV-archives and other
facilities - we do need such a co-operation to help and assist each other
in using all those facilities, establishing new facilities and - what
is more important than ever - we need such an institution to make
electronic communication a recognized and accepted tool for the historian.
We have quite a number of plans for the History Network. First of all,
we will try to improve the LISTSERV services for the historian. This
means to install even more specialized discussion lists up to a point
when there is a list for virtually every region, period and field of
history. So far, a general "common room"-style list has been set up
a a number of hosts, and many specialized lists as C18-L, SOVHIST,
MEDIEV-L, GRMNHIST, HTECH-L have spun off from HISTORY.
A second focus of the History Network is on FTP. At this moment, we
have two large FTP-sites that hold a lot of files of interest for
historians - papers, historical documents, images, bibliographies
and information files -, and we are planning to provide for easier
and faster access to all these electronic archives.
We will also help all those who want to offer new e-communication
services. If somebody would like to open a new list, or install
an electronic department bulletin board, or publish an e-journal;
in all these cases the History Network will offer help, information
and assistance. We have in fact already some prototypes at hand
for what e-mail can mean for our profession: Electronic Conferencing
has been tested this summer at the University of Kansas with very
promising results, and the departmental discussion list as well
as the student discussion list at Kansas are very successful, too.
These prototypes have encouraged us to continue their further
development, and we hope that other departments and institution
will follow our example.
The History Network will create a kind of general policy for all
associated lists, and we will offer a service for list owners to
help them deal with problems in this area. Additionally, the
History Network will publish a general guide to the usage and
operation of the facilities that are available.
Another of our plans is to help creating and improving software
tools for electronic communication, which includes LISTSERV and FTP
as well as modem software and terminal emulation.
This is just a rough sketch of the aims and plans of the History
Network. The Planning Committee will soon meet for a first con-
ference where the members of the Committee will discuss all these
matters more deeply and decide on the formation of workgroups for
the various tasks. Naturally, this conference will be help via
e-mail, which will enable us to invite board members from all
over the world.
The "physical location" of the History Network will be the University
of Kansas, which has become one of the most important sites regarding
the future of electronic communication for historians. The University
of Kansas will also host our discussion group on their LISTSERV-machine.
Among the board members are: Kevin Berland, Bayla Singer, Lynn H Nelson,
Valentine Smith, Lydia Fish, James A Cocks, Agnes Kruchio, Larry Jewell
and me (of course). For the moment, I am also acting as Chairman pro
tempore, until we have formally elected a chairman.
Those who are interested in joining the History Network should direct
their queries to me directly. My address is 113355@DOLUNI1.BITNET.
With best regards (and my apologies for having to re-send this),
Thomas Zielke
Historisches Seminar
Universit{t Oldenburg
Postfach 2503
D-W-2900 Oldenburg