towards a list for professional sanskritists and archeologists & anthropologists of south asia

[Houben, J.E.M.]

Before I unsubscribe for a while,
a question to the subscribers of the Indology List:
Wouldn't it be possible and desirable
to transform this List
into a list where
knowledgable and useful messages
(by professional Sanskritists & archeologists, historians and
anthropologists of South Asia)
are the rule rather than an exception (last
few months: less than 5% according to my personal count)?
my suggestion:
- lurking free for everybody;
- posting only for those who are admitted; admission not if you feel you
"frequently read JAOS, JRAS, BSOAS, ABORI, JOIB, IIJ ..." but if you can
give the title, place and date of your dissertation/Ph.D. + titles of three
articles *published* in JAOS, JRAS, BSOAS, ABORI, JOIB, IIJ ...; a list of
those admitted as posters is accessible via the Indology homepage; if others
think they urgently have to post/ask something to the list they can approach
one of the admitted posters (who will be aware that their own name will
occur together with the outside message).
- for all other messages there is a computer link/drainage system to the
Indian Civilisation List (which does contain interesting discussions). This
way scholarly communication will be more enjoyable and more efficient, *and*
it will become more interesting for those who only want to lurk. The archive
will become a repository of valuable communications rather than a Recycle
Bin of quick questions and remarks of the avicaaritaramaNiiya. Personally I
would prefer a very high threshold (e.g. 15 published articles) which I
don't reach, to the present situation with a too low threshold (given the
availability of the Indian Civilisation List).
As far as I see, there need not be any extra work for the List manager once
admission is automatized (application according to set format; in case of
deceit etc. the person has to be removed manually). Another option would be
to split up the present list into a "professional" list and a chatbox.
If needed, such a professional list and the way to get it established could
be the topic of discussion at some future conference, e.g. ICANAS (inclusion
too wide) or World Sanskrit Conference (inclusion too narrow).
In view of the excellent environment of this list (the Indology website),
the transformation of the present list is in my view to be preferred to
starting a new one.
Comments, suggestions?
Best wishes, Jan Houben

Jan E.M. Houben,
Research Fellow of the
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences,
Kern Institute, Leiden University,
P.O. Box 9515, NL-2300 RA   Leiden
J.E.M.Houben at LET.LeidenUniv.NL