The King in the Car Park

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Littlestone L
Littlestone Feb 7, 2013 09:33:33
Replying to VBB

VBB wrote:
To be fair there are many very generous academics and heritage professionals, they give their own time and put a hand in their pocket, and they have encouraged and supported public interest and research. What the public need though is access to information and learned journals in particular, otherwise too many spend time barking up a wrong tree.
You can say that about any professional body, whether it be banking or health care. The problem occurs when a culture of ‘we know best’ (within those professions) prevails and the system becomes either moribund or descends into chaos.

The public not only needs access to information it also needs to be provided with information with which it can engage and get excited about – either through well-produced TV programmes or off-the-shelf publications such as Brit Arch or Current Archaeology. I disagree entirely that it needs ‘learned journals’ (though the option is always there) those are probably best left to the ‘learned’ amongst us ;-)

S Sanctuary
Sanctuary Feb 7, 2013 10:04:34
Replying to Littlestone

Littlestone wrote:
VBB wrote:
To be fair there are many very generous academics and heritage professionals, they give their own time and put a hand in their pocket, and they have encouraged and supported public interest and research. What the public need though is access to information and learned journals in particular, otherwise too many spend time barking up a wrong tree.
You can say that about any professional body, whether it be banking or health care. The problem occurs when a culture of ‘we know best’ (within those professions) prevails and the system becomes either moribund or descends into chaos.

The public not only needs access to information it also needs to be provided with information with which it can engage and get excited about – either through well-produced TV programmes or off-the-shelf publications such as Brit Arch or Current Archaeology. I disagree entirely that it needs ‘learned journals’ (though the option is always there) those are probably best left to the ‘learned’ amongst us ;-)

We, the amateurs, are in a better position today than we have ever been to get our ideas and thoughts down in print. Publishing costs are at there lowest for years if you go down the self-publishing route with the Internet generating the majority of sales. Don't trouble with Self-Publishing companies, get it printed yourself with a local printers who you just hand a disc of your Work to. Don't get THAT many printed at a time, say 50/100 to double your money and just see what comments you receive back because it is so easy then to make slight changes before your first reprint. I've done it twice now and just love it. People get to share your views and often see things in a totally different light to what has always been accepted. As an amateur you can put your REAL views and thoughts forward no matter how off the wall they may seem because you are not shackled like 'most' archaeos are and have nothing to lose.

V VBB
VBB Feb 7, 2013 11:42:56
Replying to Littlestone

Littlestone wrote:
VBB wrote:
To be fair there are many very generous academics and heritage professionals, they give their own time and put a hand in their pocket, and they have encouraged and supported public interest and research. What the public need though is access to information and learned journals in particular, otherwise too many spend time barking up a wrong tree.
You can say that about any professional body, whether it be banking or health care. The problem occurs when a culture of ‘we know best’ (within those professions) prevails and the system becomes either moribund or descends into chaos.

The public not only needs access to information it also needs to be provided with information with which it can engage and get excited about – either through well-produced TV programmes or off-the-shelf publications such as Brit Arch or Current Archaeology. I disagree entirely that it needs ‘learned journals’ (though the option is always there) those are probably best left to the ‘learned’ amongst us ;-)

From TV progs to newspapers and mags, the public is bombarded with material that it gets excited about, but when it then leads to members of the public promoting their own agendas, public access to learned publications would enable engagement with secondary sources that cite primary source material that takes discussion closer to what happened in history.