Grant Recipients Rockin the Commons

Now that’s what I’m talking about.

Three of our recipients are busily adding entries, kicking butt, and, no doubt, gnashing their teeth while they learn the system. Excellent. The other four are preparing to jump in; expect lots of new entries by new contributors over the next few days and weeks.

Maybe this is a bit juvenile, but I know I was secretly thrilled at the first entry I had posted. Why not do a little justified backslapping?

Veteran readers, if you’ve ever had an itch to become a History Commons contributor, now’s a great time to do it. There are seven new contributors all learning the ropes together, and hopefully helping one another in the process. You can be part of this “next wave” of Commons contributors, taking the site into the new millennium. Join this band of information activists today.

Revamping the 2008 Credit Crisis Project

One of the groups/projects in the Commons is the investigation into the 2008 Credit Crisis, managed by a contributor who goes under the moniker “iamthewalrus109.” “Walrus,” as we’ll dub him 🙂 , has plans to revamp and expand the project. To cover single issues such as the S&L crisis, for example, doesn’t do justice to the overarching nature of this complex and multilayered problem. In an e-mail to me, he says, “I think this is why our society has myopia when it comes to these issues. The fact that this project brings together issues and events that may seem disparate brings the possibility of a fuller comprehension of the swindling and machinations of the investor class and or the elite. Nothing of this sort has been done, hence why I asked to create such a project.” We’re excited at the prospect of such an intensive inquiry. He also thinks that the project should be renamed to more accurately reflect the complex nature of the investigation. From here on out, he’s taking the reins of conversation of this project. Naturally, we invite anyone with some knowledge of, and interest in, the subject to join in the investigation.

New Categories Being Implemented

Okay, you talked me into it. If we’re going to discuss the projects, we need categories to organize the discussion. Otherwise the whole thing becomes a big mess. The categories are in the system. I’m cheating and adding all the categories to this single post. They will display in the sidebar. You won’t be able to miss it: it will be by far the single biggest menu over there.

There is also a “Books We Read” and a “Miscellaneous” category. The first one gives us a chance to talk about the books we’re reading. The second one is, well, miscellaneous. Think off-topic chats over coffee.

Put it to use, folks!