(E-mail and Historians in Germany) Date Fri, 2 Sep 1994 10 02 00 -0500 Reply-To: H-GERMAN MODERATOR Dan Rogers Sender: German History list From: H-GERMAN MODERATOR Dan Rogers Subject: E-mail and historians in Germany There are three submissions on this subject. More are welcome. 1) Submitted by: Marion Deshmukh A colleague of mine who spent the summer at the Max Planck Institut in Goettingen told me that there is very little computer support. Most have to share pcs; hence one reason why there are fewer Germans on the lists perhaps. And Max Planck is one of the better endowed institutions. Marion Deshmukh **************** 2) Submitted by: Charlie Ingrao Some possible contributory factors that might explain the slowness with which German (and Austrian) scholars have adapted to E-mail: 1. Universities have been much slower in setting up on-campus connections. 2. Calling from home involves greater expense: modems cost more and so does each phone call (a LOT more) in the absence of US-style "unlimited" local phone service. 3. Computer culture lags considerably behind the US. I'd guess that their comfort level right now -- especially among historians and other non- scientists -- is probably like it was in the states ca 1986. ************** 3) Submitted by: A.G. Roeber The quick answer to your query about e-mail among German colleagues has two components: first, yes, there are genuine bottlenecks in many of the German universities with waiting lists for people seeking an e-mail address--even in the old Bundeslaender and especially in the new. Second, most of the colleagues I know in Germany who are over 45 simply are not prepared to adjust to communicating electronically and if they have addresses, most feel overwhelmed already with obligations and delegate the task of looking through such mail to their Assistenten. In one case, a very eminent senior colleague with whom I have been in contact over the years has taken himself out of circulation largely to protect his time. Since a professorship carries with it Beamtenstatus and hence, a rather heavy burden of commission meetings in addition to ordinary academic obligations, I have come to suspect that fewer German professors will be inclined to participate on any regular basis in discussions via e-mail; younger colleagues either working on the Dissertation or Habilitation, on the other hand, seem willing and eager, although even here, I notice a drastic curtailment in participation once these people--who do have the technical skills--actually become professors. Information provider: Unit: H-Net program at UIC History Department Email: H-Net@uicvm.uic.edu Posted: 10 Sep 1994 .