- Joined
- Jul 23, 2017
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- Southwest Missouri
I was wondering if anyone subscribed and could tell me if the context of this paragraph does or does not reflect the overall tone of the article.
Okay, what is the purpose of Mr. Hess when frequenting the internet, or by posting a blog? I mean, why take notes at all, or develop ideas from them-is the absurdity I see in his statement. A multi-purpose function of communicating, coordinating, referencing to name a few and these are open to any that seek for them. It is like Mr. Hess doesn't like the taste of water-which again is absurd to those that thirst. So where did I put that notebook that holds that reference, that is needed for me to complete the exercise I desire to pursue. It won't be on Mr. Hess's site I assure you!This is being represented as coming from the September 2019 issue of 'Civil War History'.
I was wondering if anyone subscribed and could tell me if the context of this paragraph does or does not reflect the overall tone of the article.
...neither is anymore immune then the other to being hard to safely take at face value.........they both can be susceptible to having agendas or bias they are pushing.
...It is like Mr. Hess doesn't like the taste of water-which again is absurd to those that thirst...
Working through the Hess article online at Project Muse (through my library), I thought this paragraph well captured the condescension that I alluded to above:
p. 224
One respondent to the 2013 survey, who preferred to remain anonymous, suggested that the internet has had a tremendous effect on the publication of books written by nonacademic writers. It is certainly true that one can post a manuscript on a personal website, making it available to anyone who wishes to click on it, rather than going through the process of having it evaluated by a publisher before it appears in print. The internet can create a sense of fifteen-minute fame for someone who harbors a desire to become a historian without the years of academic training scholars have gone through to reach that stage. Moreover, the computer age has spawned a number of programs that make it easy for amateur authors to self-publish their work without going through what they often see as the intimidating process of peer review at academic presses. The survey respondent saw this in a negative light, because most people in the nonacademic reading public have relatively little incentive or ability to distinguish between good and bad history. They often consider a poorly researched, badly written, and nonanalytical work to be of the same quality as a book produced with rigorous standards of scholarship. The proliferation of amateur histories of the Civil War in the past quarter century tends to bear out this respondent's concerns. [emphasis added]
The internet can create a sense of fifteen-minute fame for someone who harbors a desire to become a historian without the years of academic training scholars have gone through to reach that stage.
The proliferation of amateur histories of the Civil War in the past quarter century tends to bear out this respondent's concerns.
The survey respondent saw this in a negative light, because most people in the nonacademic reading public have relatively little incentive or ability to distinguish between good and bad history.
...the multitude of informational websites concerning Civil War topics on the internet pose a daunting task for any scholar who wishes to assess, use, or criticize them." Tough! Nobody said research would be easy!
I do not know Dr. Hess and have only read a few of his books. I also have not read the article being discussed, except for the snippets provided by @DRW.
But I will have to say this in his defense: I contacted Dr. Hess out of the blue (via email) in regard to research I was conducting in respect to the Vicksburg Campaign. I felt he might have specific knowledge about aspects of my research.
In that email I told him I was not an historian but that I hoped to potentially publish something in the future in regard to my larger topic. In that initial communication, I asked if I could ask him questions for that purpose.
To my surprise, he responded to my email and gladly opened the way for further discussion. In fact, he and I corresponded with each other about my research for several months, wherein he gave me wonderful advice and suggestions. When I eventually asked him if he would read a rough draft of my work, he did not hesitate to do so. I received great feedback, including points of criticism that made my understanding even better.
He never once discouraged me or came across as a pompous academic holding disdain for my attempts at writing history without a pedigree.
So, without knowing the details of this debate, I nevertheless felt compelled upon reading this thread to at least share this aspect of Dr. Hess that I experienced.
Moreover, the tendency is that negative messages sell on the internet more readily than positive, truthful ones.
Those who take a thoughtful, scholarly approach in a world like this are at a severe disadvantage in winning converts to their cause.
Thanks for your response.it is now a much less-daunting task for any scholar who wishes to assess, use, or criticize material.
I do not know Dr. Hess and have only read a few of his books. I also have not read the article being discussed, except for the snippets provided by @DRW.
But I will have to say this in his defense: I contacted Dr. Hess out of the blue (via email) in regard to research I was conducting in respect to the Vicksburg Campaign. I felt he might have specific knowledge about aspects of my research.
In that email I told him I was not an historian but that I hoped to potentially publish something in the future in regard to my larger topic. In that initial communication, I asked if I could ask him questions for that purpose.
To my surprise, he responded to my email and gladly opened the way for further discussion. In fact, he and I corresponded with each other about my research for several months, wherein he gave me wonderful advice and suggestions. When I eventually asked him if he would read a rough draft of my work, he did not hesitate to do so. I received great feedback, including points of criticism that made my understanding even better.
He never once discouraged me or came across as a pompous academic holding disdain for my attempts at writing history without a pedigree.
So, without knowing the details of this debate, I nevertheless felt compelled upon reading this thread to at least share this aspect of Dr. Hess that I experienced.