Direction of the forum

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sean_m
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Re: Direction of the forum

Post by sean_m »

There will be some things relevant to Alexander in my doctoral dissertation, but writing which I can include on my CV, and relationships with other people in Austria, are more important than forums and Internet friendships.

I think that keeping a site like this on the open, searchable Internet is a 'secret weapon.' Not everyone who finds Pothos on a search engine posts.
Xenophon wrote:Amyntoros wrote :
I'm constantly seeing Alexander related articles in online Indian news sites. It would be nice to have a place to post them where they can perhaps be discussed without being immediately dismissed as historically inaccurate. The fact that different cultures have different viewpoints is interesting enough, IMO, but there's also a huge potential "audience" in India and we don't seem to have drawn anyone from there since Dr Pal.
It's not just 'Alexander' matters that are hopelessly distorted in India. For years Hindu extremists and nationalists have been"re-writing history" to suit themselves. For instance, as I write there is huge controversy over a Bollywood spectacular set in Moghul times. The extremists have deliberately started a rumour that the film contains a love scene between a Hindu and a Moslem ( which it does not) in order to get the block-buster banned, simply because they do not wish to be reminded that India was under Moghul/Moslem rule for a long period......
Asya Pereltsvaig and Martin W. Lewis talk about some odd theories from India in Facts and Fallacies in Historical Linguistics. I am not really interested in being a 'debunker' though, because it takes a lot of emotional energy and can keep you tied up discussing the same topics over and over again. And working with local people to make the world a better place is way more useful than feeling outraged at something which people who I have never met are doing in a country which I have never visited.
My blog (Warning: may contain up to 95% non-Alexandrian content, rated shamelessly philobarbarian by 1 out of 1 Plutarchs)
sean_m
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Re: Direction of the forum

Post by sean_m »

Also, I have been very sad to see signs that some of the regulars on Pothos have faced health problems and deaths in the family (not to mention losing Karl!) I think that Roger Pearse and one or two other stalwarts of the 'ancient Internet' have some difficulties too. But I do not really have much emotional energy to spare right now either, nor many eloquent words.
My blog (Warning: may contain up to 95% non-Alexandrian content, rated shamelessly philobarbarian by 1 out of 1 Plutarchs)
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delos13
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Re: Direction of the forum

Post by delos13 »

I also think it's a good idea to leave the forum here and keep it out of FB; more so for pure technical reasons - it's far more difficult to access history and see more than one thread at the time.

Alexias, thanks for volunteering and doing a great job, it's much appreciated.
my8os
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Re: Direction of the forum

Post by my8os »

I just registered here and found out that the forum is dying! ???
Anyway, my interest as a Greek is to find and promote truthful arguments to counter our neighbour (FYROM) nationalists' propaganda (in my point of view) who claim they are descendants of Alexander the Great and refuse the ancient Macedonian Hellenic lineage. :wink:
Alexias
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Re: Direction of the forum

Post by Alexias »

my8os wrote:I just registered here and found out that the forum is dying! ???
Anyway, my interest as a Greek is to find and promote truthful arguments to counter our neighbour (FYROM) nationalists' propaganda (in my point of view) who claim they are descendants of Alexander the Great and refuse the ancient Macedonian Hellenic lineage. :wink:
Well, perhaps you can help by making comments on topics you find interesting :) But, please, no modern politics!
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Re: Direction of the forum - Update

Post by Alexias »

Sorry things have been a little slow in happening. Here is an update:

1/ moving of posts. This is ongoing. I have tried to be as consistent as I can and decided which board a topic should go in based on the original point raised and not on the various directions the thread may have gone off into. This is because it would be impossible for me to read through all the posts.

2/update of the software. Thomas has given me an copy of the site to play with. I attempted to upgrade the software, failed, and haven't had the time to go back to it. Until I can update the test site, I obviously don't want to try it on the main site.

3/ update the main site. There are a lot of pages on the main site which are difficult to find unless you step through all the pages. There are pages I didn't know existed, and there are a lot of photos missing from pages. Therefore I would like to try and change the navigation through the site. However, this proved too time-consuming to amend the existing pages. I am therefore attempting (on the test site) to redesign the pages and the navigation. Unfortunately I have been very busy in the run up to Christmas but I am hoping to do some more over the Christmas break.

One thing that I have noticed is that we could do with an article on the Successors and one on Philip's career. They only need to give a brief outline. Any volunteers? Or on any other subject?
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Xenophon
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Re: Direction of the forum

Post by Xenophon »

I completed a chapter to a book a while ago ( yet to be published) on the subject of Philip's career, and his creation of the Macedonian empire in Europe. Perhaps a precis of this would suffice?
Are you looking for a particular size of article?

May I also take this opportunity to thank you for the work and effort you are putting in to 'overhaul' the site......it is appreciated. :D
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Paralus
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Re: Direction of the forum

Post by Paralus »

Agree with Xenophon on the work you're putting in. Much appreciated.

On the Diadochi, I could put something together. Away at the moment but back next week. See what time permits.
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Ἐπὶ τοὺς πατέρας, ὦ κακαὶ κεφαλαί, τοὺς μετὰ Φιλίππου καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου τὰ ὅλα κατειργασμένους;
Wicked men, you sin against your fathers, who conquered the whole world under Philip and Alexander.

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Alexias
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Re: Direction of the forum

Post by Alexias »

Thanks to both for your comments.

As for size, I don't know. 500 words? That's about a pageful, but I'll leave it entirely up to you. Divided into nice bite-sized chunks always helps with attention spans.

'Precis' - that's a lovely word. They don't seem to teach the art in schools anymore. It always used to be part of the English Language curriculum.
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Paralus
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Re: Direction of the forum

Post by Paralus »

Alexias wrote: As for size, I don't know. 500 words? That's about a pageful, but I'll leave it entirely up to you. Divided into nice bite-sized chunks always helps with attention spans.
500 words might cover the first year (ditto for Philip)!! More seriously, I assume this is for the main page? If so, we'll need to rejig it a bit to mirror the altered forum. For example, Antigonos does not exist either as a major or minor character. What are you thinking - an introduction to the characters or synopsis of the tumult and a time line down to Koropedion and the death of Seleukos?
Paralus
Ἐπὶ τοὺς πατέρας, ὦ κακαὶ κεφαλαί, τοὺς μετὰ Φιλίππου καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου τὰ ὅλα κατειργασμένους;
Wicked men, you sin against your fathers, who conquered the whole world under Philip and Alexander.

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Alexias
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Re: Direction of the forum

Post by Alexias »

The new layout I was working on does try to match the new forums, so that there is a main page for each of the forums, with various pages hanging off these pages. Whether this will work and I can find a home for all the existing pages, I haven't yet worked out. Many of the existing pages are written at a beginner level. There also seems to be a lot of personal opinion rather than what is usually accepted as fact. I don't want to get rid of these pages as I have no right to, so I will try to find a home for them. That said, perhaps new pages should be kept to a brief summary with pointers to further study? A brief biography of the main players sounds a good idea as well, as well as a timeline. (I did intend revisting the lists of main and minor characters). I've spent the last two days working though instead of doing some more on the new layout!
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Re: Direction of the forum - update

Post by Alexias »

Just to let you know that I am still working on this and haven't forgotten about it!

You may have noticed that I've been gradually moving the old posts to the new boards. I've also been working on the new layout of the main site. Rather than try to work out the navigation structure on the old site and amend several dozen pages, I created a new layout and am in the process of transfering the old pages to the new layout. Please be assured if you've written an article on the old site that it will be transferred to the new layout and hopefully will be easier to find. It is not very sophisticated, but you can take a look at the new layout here http://alexias.pothos.org/test.html. I'm not sure it's the final version yet. Any comments, suggestions, criticisms gratefully received!
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Paralus
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Re: Direction of the forum

Post by Paralus »

Looking good Alexias. I'm getting there on the Diadochi....
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Ἐπὶ τοὺς πατέρας, ὦ κακαὶ κεφαλαί, τοὺς μετὰ Φιλίππου καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου τὰ ὅλα κατειργασμένους;
Wicked men, you sin against your fathers, who conquered the whole world under Philip and Alexander.

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Alexias
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Re: Direction of the forum

Post by Alexias »

Thanks! I found a timeline of the Successors I could adapt.
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Re: Direction of the forum

Post by Paralus »

Alexias wrote:Thanks! I found a timeline of the Successors I could adapt.
A debated subject that! Can you send it to me first?
Paralus
Ἐπὶ τοὺς πατέρας, ὦ κακαὶ κεφαλαί, τοὺς μετὰ Φιλίππου καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου τὰ ὅλα κατειργασμένους;
Wicked men, you sin against your fathers, who conquered the whole world under Philip and Alexander.

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