online or in print?

[David M]

As you may know by now, I am involved in the research to the kurhessian Orders and decorations. However, I am still doubting about how I should proceed in publishing the data I managed to find and others found for me.

Should I do this online or in print?

I have some pro's and con's of my own ofcourse, and I would like you to tell me what you think would be best

online:

I dont have to wait with publishing untill I completed my research

cheaper

easier to get to for researchers

in print

Some people still prefer reall books over digitalized material

my book would end up in libraries (like university libraries in Hessen and their online catalogues), so I guess prestige would cover that

not necessarily more expensive, when one finds a history society interested in publishing it.

these are just some of my thoughts about that part.

The second part I would like to discuss with you is which data should be involved in the description of the members of an order

e.g. just the list with names from the Rolls and the data shown on these rolls. or should there be more specific information in there aswell such as the date of nobility (for members of the order ennobled, not them from noble descent) and the foreign orders and decorations with dates?

I hope you will take the time to read and give your opinion, you would not only be helping me but also future publishers who might struggle with the same issue

Thanks a lot

David M

[Ed_Haynes]

Easy: If this is serious research, into which you have put a great deal of work, and which you would like to think would be available to future generations, then real publication (in print) is a necessity.

Wish all issues were that easy.

I'll leave issues of content to those who specialise in your area. Though, frankly, lists of names is less interesting to an outsider (and even many insiders?) than something that says something about the awards and their history. Maybe the two could/should be conjoined?

[David M]

I'll leave issues of content to those who specialise in your area. Though, frankly, lists of names is less interesting to an outsider (and even many insiders?) than something that says something about the awards and their history. Maybe the two could/should be conjoined?

Hi Ed

Thanks for your input!

Do you mean the story behind the individual award or the history of the order in general? e.g. The Order of Wilhelm was awarded 460 times in 15 years. I dont have the totall numbers yet for The House order of the Golden Lion, but the history behind each and every individual award although I do believe it is possible to find out, would be very time consuming. I thought about this idea as well: publish the rolls in print and elaborate on the internet to tell more about (groups of) individual awards

David

[Ed_Haynes]

I think background on the order itself would be of great value and add immensely to what you present. To the degree yopu have individual histories on the individuals and their awards that wopuld add interest far beyond a sterile list of names.

And remember: A book will still exist in centuries, something online may exist for weeks or years, likely no longer than that.

[webr55]

I think a) it depends and b) maybe it is possible going both ways.

Relying on print only has a number of disadvantages as well. Most important, you cannot add any new information easily, and you cannot correct mistakes - unless you keep doing new editions. Especially in case you want to add additional information on recipients - as it is coming in and not wait until you have all the stories together.

I agree that preservation of books by libraries is important, but I think this can be achieved by other mechanisms via the net as well. Information on the internet may vanish temporarily, but it can be copied more easily and brought up again later. Maybe it is possible to do a book with some stories, but an online site as well, which can be updated continously.

Regards

Chris

[Guest Rick Research]

The way Daniel and I are doing WW1 rolls is to try and include as much as possible... briefly.

Birth and death data points anyone interested in specific individuals where to go, as do notes about whether someone made General or the like.

The permanence of books appeals to me. Once done, once printed, there it is--solid and always available.

Online is nice for immediacy, but if a website closes, or a server goes down or... everything is lost.

There are also very definite problems with piracy online. There is far too much work involved in doing this sort of project to see some copy and paste boor repost it all as their own work, or deliberately remove author credit in a vain attempt to conceal the theft.

I am extremely generous about sharing information for free

at my discretion and by my choice

but I object very strongly to MY work being taken without being asked for permission, with source deleted, and with a sneeringly contemptuous assumption that everything posted once is up for grabs forever. More to the point, when one's freely shared work is used for somebody else's private financial gain-- .

People who are interested in a subject will equip themselves with the necessary reference books. People who take anything with the assumption that they are ENTITLED to other people's hard work because it is "free" and thus without value (to them) are not the demographic audience desired.

Books CAN be updated. That rarely happens because of financial considerations. Since nobody is making money at this (God knows neither Daniel nor I ever will), that is inevitable. But that leaves improvements building upon earlier work for another, younger generation.

So I'll take paper over online pirates any time.

[slava1stclass]

I am extremely generous about sharing information for free

at my discretion and by my choice

Rick,

Well put. I couldn't agree more.

Regards,

slava1stclass

[Ed_Haynes]

As usual, Rick has put his finger on many of the issues.

[Wild Card]

Hi David M,

Ed Haynes and Rick Research have echoed and expanded my preference and views better than I could. I would just like to emphasize that the concept of adding some biographical and historical material to the statistics is definitely more desirable (and marketable!). I would suggest the excellent series ?Aviation Awards of Imperial Germany in World War I and The Men Who Earned Them? by Neal O?Connor and ?Echoes of War? by Paul Schmitt as format examples to be investigated in this regard.

Best wishes,

Wild Card

Edited April 25, 2007 by Wild Card

[David M]

Thank you all very much for your input. I think Rick is right....when anything would be published, at least I am sure everybody knows its my work, not just bnecause I am vain but there is a lot of (hard) work in things like this and poeple should be given credit for their work...

I think it is more clear to me now what I should do with the results of my research and why.

Thanks again

David M