soc.history.what-if FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about the discussion of history divergent from that of our own.
This FAQ about the discussion of history divergent from that of our own was compiled and written by Anthony Mayer anthonyemayer@yahoo.co.uk with numerous contributions by others.
This document is maintained (and copyright) by Anthony Mayer. Substantial portions are drawn from earlier versions copyright 1994-1997 by Robert B. Schmunk and 1997-2002 by Craig Neumeier, and are used with permission. It may be freely distributed electronically provided that this copyright notice is attached.
you wish to make a suggestion for corrections or additions, please e-mail the maintainer directly at aem3@doc.ic.ac.uk
1. Introduction (soc.history.what-if)- soc.history.what-if is a newsgroup for the discussion of history ...
- 2. What is alternative history? (soc.history.what-if)
- Alternative history essays/stories are the what ifs of history,...
- 3. Are there any rules about posting to soc.history.what-if?
- Since soc.history.what-if is an unmoderated newsgroup, there are ...
- 4. Are there any forbidden subjects? (soc.history.what-if)
- Yes. The newsgroup charter (see question 1) rules some subjects out ...
- 5. Are there any subjects which require special care? (soc.history.what-if)
- Almost any topic can unexpectedly rouse tempers; the Ban on ...
- 6. What is a "double-blind what-if" and how should I respond? (soc.history.what-if)
- A double-blind WI is one that pretends to be posted from an ...
- 7. What does "... in the Sea of Time" mean? (soc.history.what-if)
- It's a reference to S.M. Stirling's ISLAND IN THE SEA OF TIME (book one ...
- 8. What are the Alien Space Bats? (soc.history.what-if)
- Newsgroup shorthand for complete disbelief in some suggested ...
- 9. What does
mean? (soc.history.what-if) - There are several abbreviations common to much of Usenet which are ...
- 10. What are the most common what-ifs? (soc.history.what-if)
- Evelyn Leeper's 1999 count using the Uchronia database (see Question 16)...
- 11. What are some common historical errors I should avoid? (soc.history.what-if)
- There are a number of historical issues that are still hotly debated, ...
- 11.a. Could Operation Sealion have succeeded? (soc.history.what-if)
- Not with the existing situation in 1940: Germany lacked the ...
- 11.b. Could the American Indians have repelled the Europeans? (soc.history.what-if)
- No, nor any other people from the Old World who might have ...
- 11.c. Did the Chinese just use gunpowder for fireworks? (soc.history.what-if)
- Despite persistent stories to the contrary, the Chinese did ...
- 11.d. Did Christianity destroy Greek science and the Roman Empire? (soc.history.what-if)
- Opinions differ about whether Christianity was a contributing factor ...
- 11.e. Did the US come within one vote of adopting German as its official language? (soc.history.what-if)
- No. This urban legend seems to be based on a 1795 petition to ...
- 12. Are the posts to soc.history.what-if archived somewhere?
- There is no soc.history.what-if archive site, although there are a ...
- 13. Can anybody recommend a good book about alternative history?
- About alternative history itself? There are a number of anthologies, ...
- 14. What alternative histories should I read?
- Everyone has different tastes; asking for suggestions on the ...
- 15. Is there an (on-line) alternative history book list?
- There sure is, maintained by Robert B. Schmunk (rbs@uchronia.net). He ...
- 16. What are the Sidewise Awards?
- The Sidewise Awards were created in 1995 to honor the best ...
- 17. Are there other alternative history discussion areas?
- Yes. The other Usenet newsgroups with some level of official interest ...
- 18. Are there any alternative history Web sites?
- Several; too many, in fact, to conveniently list them all. Fortunately,...
- 19. Is there any record of newsgroup traffic in soc.history.what-if?
- There certainly is. The ...
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