r/AskHistorians • u/Gankom Moderator | Quality Contributor • 16d ago
Meta AskHistorians sends out the call, but will you answer? The /r/AskHistorians Flair Application Thread XXIX
Welcome flair applicants! This is the place to apply for a flair – the colored text you will have seen next to some user's names indicating their specialization. We are always looking for new flaired users, and if you think you have what it takes to join the panel of historians, you're in the right place!
For examples of previous applications, and our current panel of historians, you can find a previous application thread here, and there is a list of active flaired users on our wiki.
A flair in indicates extensive, in-depth knowledge about an area of history and a proven track record of providing great answers in the subreddit. In applying for a flair, you are claiming to have:
- Expertise in an area of history, typically from either degree-level academic experience or an equivalent amount of self-study. For more exploration of this, check out this thread.
- The ability to cite sources from specialist literature for any claims you make within your area.
- The ability to provide high quality answers in the subreddit in accordance with our rules.
For a more in-depth look at how applications are analyzed, consult this helpful guide on our wiki explaining what an answer that demonstrates the above looks like.
To apply for a flair, simply post in this thread. Your post needs to include:
- Links to 3 to 5 answers which show a sustained involvement in the community, including at least one within the past month.
- These answers should all relate to the topic area in which you are seeking flair. They should demonstrate your claim to knowledge and expertise on that topic, as well as your ability to write about that topic comprehensively and in-depth. Outside credentials or works can provide secondary support, but cannot replace these requirements.
- The text of your flair and which category it belongs in (see the sidebar). Be as specific as possible as we prefer flair to reflect the exact area of your expertise as near as possible, but be aware there is a limit of 64 characters.
- If you are a former, now inactive flair, an application with one recent flair-quality answer, plus additional evidence of renewed community involvement, is required.
One of the moderators will then either confirm your flair or, if the application doesn't adequately show you meet the requirements, explain what's missing. If you get rejected, don't despair! We're happy to give you advice and pointers on how to improve your portfolio for a future application. Plenty of panelists weren't approved the first time.
If there's a backlog this may take a few days but we will try to get around to everyone as quickly as possible.
Updated Procedures
Note that we have made some slight changes to the requirements of the past. Previous applications required all answers to be within the past six months. But we realize that this can sometimes be tough if you write about uncommon topics. We have changed the temporal requirement to be one answer that was written in the past month. The answers as a whole will be evaluated holistically with an eye towards a regular pace of contributions. i.e. 3 answers each spaced 3 months apart would be accepted now, but we would likely ask for more recent contributions if an application was one recent answer and the rest over a year old. Flair reflects not only expertise, but involvement in the AskHistorians community.
"I'm an Expert About Something But Never Have a Chance to Write About It!"
Some topics only come up once in a blue moon, but that doesn't mean you can't still get flair in it! There are a number of avenues to follow, many of which are dealt with in greater detail at the last section of this thread.
We invest a large amount of trust in the flaired members of , as they represent the subreddit when answering questions, participating in AMAs, and even in their participation across reddit as a whole. As such, we do take into account an applicant's user history reddit-wide when reviewing an application, and will reject applicants whose post history demonstrate bigotry, racism, or sexism. Such behavior is not tolerated in , and we do not tolerate it from our panelists in any capacity. We additionally reserve the right to revoke flair based on evidence of such behavior after the application process has been completed. is a safe space for everyone, and those attitudes have no place here.
If you see an unflaired user consistently giving excellent answers, they can be nominated for a "Quality Contributor" flair. Just message the mods their username and some example comments which you believe meet the above criteria.
To apply for FAQ finder, we require demonstration of a consistent history of community involvement and linking to previous responses and the FAQ. We expect to see potential FAQ Finders be discerning in what they link to, ensuring that it is to threads which represent the current standards of the subreddit, and they do so in a polite and courteous manner, both to the 'Asker', and also by including a username ping of the original 'Answerer'.
Having a flair brings with it a greater expectation to abide by the subreddit's rules and maintain the high standard of discussion we all like to see here. The mods will revoke the flair of anybody who continually breaks the rules, fails to meet the standard for answers in their area of expertise, or violates the above mentioned expectations. Happily, we almost never have to do this.
Before applying for flair, we encourage you to check out these resources to help you with the application process:
- Our Rules Roundtable on what a 'Good Answer' looks like
- Our Wiki Guide on what makes a good application
- The Previous Application Threads, to see what makes for successful - and not successful - applications.
- The Sunday Digest, and Monthly Awards which can provide many examples of we are looking for regarding the caliber of flaired users.
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u/Consistent_Score_602 16d ago
I would like to apply for a flair with the text "Nazi Germany and German War Crimes During WW2" (under the European History category). I'd love to be alerted if something in that (admittedly broad) topic comes up. BA in history with a focus on Germany (German double major), plus additional self-study post graduation.
Answers (hopefully not too many!). Let me know if there's anything else I need!
On the ultimate goals of Generalplan Ost:
On the facilitating role of Paul von Hindenburg in the rise of the Third Reich:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1hbvjsf/comment/m1k64k0/
On operations similar to the Aktion T-4 "euthanasia" program in occupied nations:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1d2zdcn/comment/l675znc/
On the Wehrmacht and sexual assault:
On German mistreatment of Soviet PoWs:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1dubioc/comment/lbg1lqx/
Fact-check of neo-Nazi propaganda:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1dq08zu/comment/laszw2f/
On religiosity in the Einsatzgruppen:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1d7njju/comment/l73japn/
On the blood libel:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1e7s90p/comment/le3wf8c/
On the ideological underpinnings of the Holocaust (unfortunately, question and asker have since been deleted):
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1dwqu2k/comment/lbyctqo/
On the subject of the stab-in-the-back myth, which led to a more general German anti-Semitism:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1d8df7n/comment/l78m0cj/
On eligibility requirements for the SS:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1d4p7h1/comment/l6hzbz8/
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u/Halofreak1171 16d ago
Hi all! I'd love to apply for a flair with the text "Colonial and Early Modern Australia", going under the Oceania History grouping. Alongside the following answers, I have my BA in History with First Class Honours, and am now officially a PHD student in Australian History.
Answers
What Became of the Squattocracy as a Social Class in Australia:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1gwqx5r/comment/lydnlzd/
Why are there unrelated supermarket chains named "Woolworths" in the USA, South Africa and Australia? Have they challenged each other over use of the same name?
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1gz2a6m/comment/lyvddpl/
How did Australia settle on a preferential voting system? Were there any groups arguing for an alternative system? Did they ever consider a system similar to the US?
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1gi8im2/comment/lv4h1do/
What were the impacts of penal colonies on free colonies in the Antipodes?
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1fmffj7/comment/lotknfk/
What made trade or contact with Australia and its indigenous population so difficult initially?
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1gf8zus/comment/lugiqc1/
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u/Libertat Celtic, Roman and Frankish Gaul 16d ago
Would it be possible to change my flair as "Ancient Celts | Iron Age Gaul"?
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u/SentientLight 14d ago edited 13d ago
Hello! I'd like to apply for a flair with the text "Early and East Asian Buddhist Studies", in the category of History of Religion and Philosophy. Thank you!
Answers
- How did people in India keep track of their caste when they adopted Buddhism https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1hd30ym/how_did_people_in_india_keep_track_of_their_caste/m1x8urs/
- How prevalent was atheism in societies with multiple gods e.g. Rome, Greece; are there any examples of people doubting, questioning or outright denying their existence? https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1fafy9l/how_prevalent_was_atheism_in_societies_with/llziqap/
- How modern is atheism as an accepted and widespread cultural practice? Do we have any records of largely atheistic ancient civilizations or has culturally instituted atheism only existed after the intellectual developments of the Enlightenment? https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1djesqa/how_modern_is_atheism_as_an_accepted_and/l9axmes/
- Has it ever happened that during a feud of two noble families that one side completely exterminated the other and claimed their domains for themselves? Was that allowed? https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1dfn8ne/has_it_ever_happened_that_during_a_feud_of_two/l8n7hpj/
- Which was the role of Buddhist in local rural economy? https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/11hzguf/which_was_the_role_of_buddhist_in_local_rural/jaw858q/
- Is it a fringe theory to assume Jesus was influenced by Buddhism? https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/zg2oug/is_it_a_fringe_theory_to_assume_jesus_was/izew04c/
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u/Downtown-Act-590 13d ago
Hello, I would like to apply for a flair with the text "Aerospace History" or "Aerospace Engineering History". I am not a historian, but an aerospace engineer. However, I believe that I keep the important points well-sourced and understand how the answers should look like. I applied earlier, but I think that my application fell through and it is now significantly revised anyway.
Five answers for flair application:
- What was the Soviet response to Apollo 1, if there was any at all? (Focus: Soviet manned spaceflight)
- Given the lack of modern engineering/modelling tools to predict safety, how were test pilots chosen during WW2 to test planes like the XP-55 Ascender and similarly outlandish designs? Were these pilots the best or was such a duty a punishment? (Focus: WWII-era flight testing)
- How did 1950s transatlantic flights stay in contact with ground control? (Focus: History of aviation communication systems)
- Aviation/Soviet historians, how unsafe was flying Aeroflot during the Soviet period? (Focus: Aviation safety in the USSR)
- With 6 turning and 4 burning, what was the cost per flight hour of a B-36? How much did the US Air Force policy of having bombers on constant alert and in the air cost taxpayers? Is it even quantifiable? (Focus: US strategic bomber operations of the Cold war)
Additional answers which show sustained involvement in the community:
- Did American radar technology improve over the course of world war 2? (Focus: WWII US air defense and history of radar)
- Over the course of the space race, why wasn't more attention given towards Venus or Mercury? (Focus: Cold war interplanetary spaceflight)
- Operation Plumbbob underground nuclear tests in 1957 launched one ton shaft lid straight up at 5x escape velocity. Was there any serious exploration of doing that on purpose to launch a satellite after Sputnik? (Focus: Space gun history and technology)
- In the early days of airplanes, what was the crash rate and pilot causality rate like? (Focus: Early aviation safety)
- What happened to the airspace competition of the cold war in the late 1960s, and how did it end up with the US having such an extensive advantage? (Focus: Late Cold war air superiority)
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u/Downtown-Act-590 13d ago edited 11d ago
Additional answers which show sustained involvement in the community cont. :
- When could people theoretically have first launched anything into space? (Focus: Space guns and artillery)
- To what extent was Manfred von Richthofen's reputation earned or manufactured in the First World War? (Focus: Statistics and WWI Aerial Combat)
- Why did the Hague Convention of 1899 ban aerial bombardment, but only for five years? (Focus: Balloons and airships in military roles)
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u/Advanced-Regret-998 16d ago
I would like to apply for a flair for "The Holocaust in Eastern Europe"
Holocaust Perpetrators
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/s/mEiZGYD6Ck
Implementation of the Final Solution
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u/Flagship_Panda_FH81 3d ago edited 1d ago
Hello! I wonder, if it isn't too late if I could be considered for a flair - First World War | Western Front & Logistics
Recent relevant answer: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1hccq5p/how_mechanized_were_the_armies_of_ww1_priorduring/
Other relevant answers on WW1: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1dfhaym/why_were_there_only_french_and_british/
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1bvngn2/how_did_they_transport_supplies_to_captured/
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1ge3ryj/ive_heard_a_claim_that_british_units_in_ww1/
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1dxvo35/a_whole_generation_lost_in_the_great_war/
I've also answered questions on other subjects on this subreddit including naval history, disaster response and British policing history, which I hope would help show I have contributed positively to this subreddit and its ethos?
Many thanks for your consideration.
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u/Gankom Moderator | Quality Contributor 16d ago
Please post any questions about the flair process as a reply to this comment only.