Similarly, communications which are far removed from the topic of the list are not sent forward, as are silly questions. All of these account for more than ninety percent of the rejected messages on H-Net lists. H-Net editors generally tread gingerly with the remaining questionable postings. Far from challenging their academic freedom, I have given them the opportunity to use that freedom more carefully and precisely. The role of the H-Net editor also involves encouraging and shaping discussions.
Editors frame questions to their lists and encourage discussion to move in scholarly directions.
For example, the nature of a daily listserv is such that a long thoughtful post can sometimes pass by without comment from subscribers. Editorial notes, urging subscribers to consider individual points raised in a piece, however, invariably provoke response and thus serve to facilitate further dialogue. Likewise, comments from editors encourage subscribers to dig deeper into issues, research their points, and cite sources. With a few judicious comments, editors can also tie together disparate postings from different subscribers and steer discussion into new and richer directions. Thus, editors function as facilitators of scholarly discussion.