Comments on: The lost art of Footnoting http://deconstructinghistory.wordpress.com/2007/02/05/the-lost-art-of-footnoting/ A Blog for Clio II - I hope I survive!! Sat, 28 Jul 2007 16:02:12 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: kalsfmmsndf http://deconstructinghistory.wordpress.com/2007/02/05/the-lost-art-of-footnoting/#comment-526 kalsfmmsndf Sat, 28 Jul 2007 16:02:12 +0000 http://deconstructinghistory.wordpress.com/2007/02/05/the-lost-art-of-footnoting/#comment-526 LOL. =) i think footnotes are cute. LOL. =)
i think footnotes are cute.

]]> By: veprek.com » Blog Archive » The Problem of the Footnote http://deconstructinghistory.wordpress.com/2007/02/05/the-lost-art-of-footnoting/#comment-8 veprek.com » Blog Archive » The Problem of the Footnote Tue, 06 Feb 2007 21:22:57 +0000 http://deconstructinghistory.wordpress.com/2007/02/05/the-lost-art-of-footnoting/#comment-8 [...] After reflecting on all the readings, and commenting on Steven’s lovely NOLA-themed blog (in &ldquoThe Lost Art of Footnoting”, this is why some variation of the pop-up/lightbox would be my choice. Maybe I would even add a [...] [...] After reflecting on all the readings, and commenting on Steven’s lovely NOLA-themed blog (in &ldquoThe Lost Art of Footnoting”, this is why some variation of the pop-up/lightbox would be my choice. Maybe I would even add a [...]

]]> By: Laura http://deconstructinghistory.wordpress.com/2007/02/05/the-lost-art-of-footnoting/#comment-7 Laura Tue, 06 Feb 2007 20:34:49 +0000 http://deconstructinghistory.wordpress.com/2007/02/05/the-lost-art-of-footnoting/#comment-7 Hi Steven, I agree with you. The <a>NYT article</a> was fun to read, and it is indeed a shame that footnotes have become endnotes in too many cases. I especially agree with the author's comment that "In extenuation of Rousseau it should be said that his notes are discursive rather than bibliographical" and that this somewhat justifies placement at the end of his writings. In historical writing, however, footnotes are indeed essential, as Ms. Himmelfarb writes, to preventing the "physical discomfort of the reader" who has to bookmark two places and continually flip back and forth losing her place repeatedly. Additionally, in a historiographical essay, an author may mention a debate within the literature and can footnote the key authors and their main writings so that the reader has a more complete knowledge of the topic—especially useful if the flow of the reading is not interrupted. After all of the reading on the footnoting-on-the-web problem, I still am not happy with any solution. As a designer and a historian, I suppose I have high standards... Laura Hi Steven,
I agree with you. The NYT article was fun to read, and it is indeed a shame that footnotes have become endnotes in too many cases. I especially agree with the author’s comment that “In extenuation of Rousseau it should be said that his notes are discursive rather than bibliographical” and that this somewhat justifies placement at the end of his writings. In historical writing, however, footnotes are indeed essential, as Ms. Himmelfarb writes, to preventing the “physical discomfort of the reader” who has to bookmark two places and continually flip back and forth losing her place repeatedly. Additionally, in a historiographical essay, an author may mention a debate within the literature and can footnote the key authors and their main writings so that the reader has a more complete knowledge of the topic—especially useful if the flow of the reading is not interrupted.

After all of the reading on the footnoting-on-the-web problem, I still am not happy with any solution. As a designer and a historian, I suppose I have high standards…

Laura

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