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Open question time
Oct. 28th, 2012 09:56 amSince I just finished the idiot doctorate and since I'm on a Coyote Con panel on writers and history today, it's time to have an open question thread.
This is open to anyone (you don't have to know me) and you can ask anything. I won't answer questions that require much research at my end - open question season is not a place for me to do research for others*. If I don't know an answer off the top of my head, however, I will say so.
The problem questions historically in my open question times are the ones that are nebulous - if you don't know precisely what you want to ask, then the likelihood is quite high that I won't be able to answer. Also, very broad questions are difficult, because I'm an historian and I see the world as complex. In other words, try to keep your questions specific. Be as precise as you can. Not "What's the history of beer?" but "Were there laws regulating beer in the late 13th century?" With history questions, remember that if a hundred years is a long time to you personally and if you've seen heaps of changes in your less-than-100-years, that this might also apply to people in the past - this is another reason to ask precise questions.
Frivolous questions are fine. I do not answer "How long is a piece of string?" or "What's your shoe size?" for once was enough for both of those questions.
Personal questions are fine for I can always be snarky or refuse to answer. I reserve the right to be snarky, in fact, or cheeky, or even impudent. I will take serious questions seriously, however.
This thread is open for questions until next Saturday.
*If you really need me to do research for you, though, let's talk about it offblog and I'll quote you my rates.
This is open to anyone (you don't have to know me) and you can ask anything. I won't answer questions that require much research at my end - open question season is not a place for me to do research for others*. If I don't know an answer off the top of my head, however, I will say so.
The problem questions historically in my open question times are the ones that are nebulous - if you don't know precisely what you want to ask, then the likelihood is quite high that I won't be able to answer. Also, very broad questions are difficult, because I'm an historian and I see the world as complex. In other words, try to keep your questions specific. Be as precise as you can. Not "What's the history of beer?" but "Were there laws regulating beer in the late 13th century?" With history questions, remember that if a hundred years is a long time to you personally and if you've seen heaps of changes in your less-than-100-years, that this might also apply to people in the past - this is another reason to ask precise questions.
Frivolous questions are fine. I do not answer "How long is a piece of string?" or "What's your shoe size?" for once was enough for both of those questions.
Personal questions are fine for I can always be snarky or refuse to answer. I reserve the right to be snarky, in fact, or cheeky, or even impudent. I will take serious questions seriously, however.
This thread is open for questions until next Saturday.
*If you really need me to do research for you, though, let's talk about it offblog and I'll quote you my rates.