----------------- HES POSTING -----------------
The summer vacation season is almost over, and so with the start of a
new academic year I thought I'd take a couple bytes of your mail folder
space to mention several items regarding HES list postings:
1) If you have something you want posted to the list, please send it to
the list address <[log in to unmask]> rather than to me. That way, you will be
listed as the "sender" of the message instead of me. Also, all messages
sent to the list address are routed to me before going to the entire list,
and I routinely "fix" messages that won't be transmitted to the list in the
right format. When you send messages to the list address rather than to
me, I get the chance to see what the message looks like to list
members. Many of the mistakes in message formats that have occurred
recently have come from messages that were sent to me rather than the
list address -- I sent the message on thinking everything was alright,
when it wasn't. (My apologies to list members who couldn't read
messages because of improper formatting. Please let me know and
we'll fix the message in the archive.)
2) Computer system changes at my institution have necessitated that I
have a unique address for the purpose of moderating HES messages
(<[log in to unmask]>). DO NOT USE THAT ADDRESS
TO SEND MAIL TO ME! My regular email address is
<[log in to unmask]>. I check for messages to moderate at least
once per day. Don't be alarmed if your message to the list doesn't get
distributed for several hours. DO send me a message if your posting
isn't distributed by the next day!
3) Part of my moderating task is checking subject lines. I always (well,
almost always!) check the subject line and make sure the subject is
formatted correctly. Many of you have figured out the subject line
format, and I appreciate the help I get from posters. The basic format
is as follows:
[HES: ]TOPIC -- short description
The HES: prefix is automatically added by the list management
program when the message goes out to the list. I do not add it, and
posters do not need to add it (I have to strip it out of postings that are
sent with it). The TOPIC abbreviations I usually use are:
ANN (announcements or notices to pay attention to)
CFP (calls for papers)
CONFANN (conference announcements -- I sometimes simply use
ANN here is the conference description is too long)
DISC (topics for discussion)
EDITORIAL (for guest editorials)
QUERY (inquiries and questions)
REPORT (usually used for list subscriber reports, and maybe for
conference reports)
RVW (book reviews from EH.Net or H-Net)
WWW (web resources of note)
Feel free to add these topic identifications to the subject lines of your
postings if you wish, and to create your own message descriptions if
you are starting a new conversation thread. Please remember the rule
that the subject line should be less than 72 total characters (including
the HES: prefix and Re:).
I sometimes take it upon myself to provide a new subject line for a
message that was sent as a reply to a different topic. I usually do this
when I think the posting may start a new thread which should be
distinguished from the old one. (The recent Sraffa and Wittgenstein
thread was started this way, beginning from a reply to riddle #2). I also
modify subject lines if they will be too long.
As you already know, messages which are replies to earlier messages
have an added subject line item:
Re: HES: TOPIC -- short description
Most mailers add "Re:" when you reply to messages. The HES list
management program is set up to recognize this prefix and to put the
HES: prefix after it if it appears in a subject line. Thus, all you have to
do when replying to messages is use the same subject line as the
original message used.
4) Which brings me to replies. In order to save message space both in
subscribers' mailboxes and in our list archives, the HES list does not
include the original message in the body of replies. I do leave portions
of the original message in a reply when the person is replying to a
specific comment, and the reply might not make sense to someone who
does not have the list archive immediately at hand. Those of you who
can control what your mail program includes in a reply, please don't
include the original message with your reply -- it will only be deleted by
me. But feel free to work a very short portion of the original message
into your reply if you feel it necessary.
5) You can make my moderating job easier if you do not include your
"signature" with your posting to the list. Our policy is to strip out
everything except a person's name and email address. I usually make
sure that the sender's name at least is at the bottom of each message.
6) The HES list posts announcements of conferences, web sites, etc.
which are of direct interest to the community of scholars in the history
of economic thought. I welcome (and myself try to provide)
announcements which might not reach those historians of economics
who work primarily in the economics discipline (for example,
conferences in interdisciplinary fields which would welcome input from
historians of economics). However, I don't usually post conference
announcements and the like which are normally distributed to the
general economics profession through other channels. For example, I
would usually not distribute a call for papers for the Eastern
Economics Association conference, but if one year the EEA
conference was devoted to a topic in the history of economics, or if
someone was looking for participants in an EEA session on a history
of economics topic, a CFP would be welcome.
7) Finally, where is the line between personal messages and list
messages? It is sometimes hard to distinguish, and I do err in one
direction or the other from time to time. Generally, if a TOPIC thread
has become a conversation between only two people, I ask the
participants to continue it off-list. If a message is sent to the list which I
think is more appropriately sent only to a particular person, then I re-
direct the message and send both participants a message saying that I
will post the message to the list if they think it should be. When
messages are incendiary in some way, I try to consult the HES editorial
board for advice before posting them, and frequently either reject the
message or ask the person to rephrase their comments. If you think my
handling of a message was incorrect, please email me and we'll get it
sorted out!
Thanks for your attention. I look forward to a continuation of great
discussions! Questions and comments are welcome!
Ross Emmett
[log in to unmask]
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