Topic: A Latest Site News
Latest Site News
Welcome
Welcome to the Australian Light Horse Studies Centre. The purpose is to provide an information rich environment for Australians and others to learn about a fascinating chapter in Australian history which was pivotal to the formation of the Australian Story.
As this blog unfolds, many different topics will be dealt with to bring to the fore the conditions prevailling in Australia from the period 1890 to 1920. Issues of a general social nature, political commentary and other issues which formed the foundation for the evolution of the Light Horse movement in Australia.
This is an open blog with moderated responses to ensure the information specifically relates to the subject. Please feel free to express opinions about the subjects raised and even raise your own. Well thought out commentary that adds to everyone's knowledge is a joy and actively encouraged.
Research
Essentially the research role occurs in three different aspects -
1. To detail and discuss the general historical information available in an effort to provide a dialogue between different group attitudes;
2. To provide commentaries from primary source documents; and,
3. To maintain general community interest mainly through family re-union activities which involves researching and detailing family histories at the request from general members of the public.
The objective is to maintain the highest standards of scholarship with rigorous care taken to present accurate information for the reader. The aim is to tell the story, warts and all, to honour the people of the era as they were rather than some of the myth that has arisen. A story told with integrity will stand on its own.
Rules
There are a few things that need to be said for people who wish to contribute. This is not said to irritate those who firmly understand the rules of scholastic debate but more for those who find it difficult to accept these high standards. The rules of posting on this blog are simple - they follow the basic principles of evidence and courtesy.
1. This is a moderated personal blog and not an open forum which means comments will not be freely admitted but be carefully examined to ensure they match the high standards of scholarship demanded of the site.
Note: Out in cyber space there are some very strange and malignant people out there who believe that it is their inalienable right to destroy the hard work of others through internet vandalism, or they believe that a few minutes of unsubstantiated personal opinion is far more credible than hours of painstaking research, or they believe that what is being published should be suppressed because it somehow offends their sense of reality. And if that isn't bad enough, there are always the self appointed internet police who wish to point out the errors of our way or the people who wish to give gratuitous advice on personality traits and how to live a better life. There are the stalkers who like to send death threats because somehow they feel their lives have been ruined because of scholastic activities. In other words, there are a great many people with anti social leanings who believe that their unusual opinions should hold sway in an unfettered manner. These are the main factors for moderating comments on this blog.
So,
2. Well researched posts will always find a welcome home on this blog.
3. We have no expectation that all people will agree with the views or opinions I have formed from the material that is posted. However, if a person wishes to disagree, it is essential that the disagreement is factually based and backed up with solid research. It is also proper that such rebuttal material be presented in a sober manner. Following this simple rule and a rebuttal post will always be welcomed.
4. Don'ts:
- Ad homs
- Self indulgence
- Vandalism
- Nannyism
- Stalking
It is a sad reality that people who can't understand this try to place their rejected posts on other open fora. Apart from looking desperate and an admission that the post fails the test mentioned in Points 2 & 3, it is also a case of trying to sneak through the back door what can never get through the front door. The question for people to ask themselves in this circumstance is:
If I went to court to prosecute someone on the evidence I am attempting to present here, would I secure a conviction?
In an act of self reflective honesty, if the post is filled with supposition, self opinion and ad homs, the chances are it would never make it into a court room - so why would anyone be tempted to believe it would get a hearing on this blog.
5. Basically the rule is - act in a normally accepted social manner in constructing a well researched essay and this place will be a home for the post.
6. A post should bear the proper name of the person. If a person wishes to be taken seriously then it is important that the person also behaves in a serious manner. Books, articles and the like all bear the authors' name, thus making the authors accountable for their words. Real names are essential. No post will be allowed without one.
7. On examination of an article, prior to publication, if it is found deficient of research or breaching rules of common courtesy, all of which is defined above, the author will be notified by email - if an email addres is supplied - of the problems within the post that need correction. Failure to provide a corrected version will result in the post being deleted within 4 days of notification. Failure to provide an operational email address - even though not for publication - will result in the post being deleted.
Copyright
As with all copyright conventions, all information contained within this blog, unless otherwise attributed, is the exclusive intellectual property of Bill Woerlee, his heirs and successors. There is no restriction upon the non-commercial usage of the material contained within except that the material should be correctly attributed.
Mistakes and Errors
Despite all efforts to the contrary, all mistakes and errors are those of Bill Woerlee. Should anyone detect a mistake, and there will be some, please feel free to outline the error and the correction. In doing so, please attach the evidence of the error and correction. In other words, it needs to be something more than "I reckon" or "In my humble opinion" etc. It has to be factual. Then I will be glad to alter the text and attribute the source.
It couldn't be any more simple than that. We look forward to hearing from you.
Further Reading:
Citation: Welcome and the Rules
