H-Net’s networks vice president Matthew B. Gilmore has asked me to promote consideration of possibly establishing an H-Corrections e-mail discussion list.

The Michigan State University-based international consortium of history and social science scholars, H-Net is a network of more than 100 such free subscription history-oriented professional forums (Listservs).

At this early exploratory stage, I am simply sounding out people who are interested in correction history.  Please allow me to presume that, since you have read to this point, you do have such an interest. So I ask

• whether you consider establishing such a discussion list feasible,

• whether you and/or someone you know would be interested in being among the free subscribers to such a list; and

• whether you and/or someone you know would be interested in helping bring it into existence.

Of course, by indicating you would be interested in being among the free subscribers to such a list, you would in some measure be increasing its feasibility and thereby helping to bring it into existence. So would indicating willingness to consider serving on an advisory or editorial board, at least for the start-up period.

While the Internet is awash with all sorts of blogs, newsgroups, chat rooms and message boards, there is currently no peer moderated e-mail discussion list focused on correction history that is maintained by and for professionals both in academia and in correction.

Rather than a list of academics e-talking only to other academics or a list of correction careerists e-talking only to other correction careerists, the proposed H-Corrections would have correction careerists, academics and sundry other related professionals participating in its on-going, open-ended e-mail discussions.

For more on H-Corrections, click here to access a working draft “Statement of Purpose” for the proposed Listserv. Some such statement would become part of the initial application to H-Net for setting up the H-Corrections discussion list on H-Net.  Feel free to suggest changes and/or additions to the draft statement; it is not written in stone.

For general information about H-Net and about forming a new discussion network on it, visit its web site at http://www.h-net.org/lists/

Please let me know what you think:

• Is H-Corrections feasible?
• Would you be interested in becoming a member of such a free discussion list?
• Would you help promote its coming into existence?

Thomas C. McCarthy
CorrectionHistory.Us webmaster
webmaster@CorrectionHistory.US

Also
general secretary/webmaster
New York Correction History Society*
webmaster2@CorrectionHistory.Org
* for purposes of identification