I sometimes worry our kindly mods get worn down from getting pushback sometimes and having to delete so many comments of people not following the rules. Even if the silent majority of us are silent because the rules dictate it as such, know that you are appreciated!

I agree completely. Mods make it great, but let me also say that this community gives me constant reminders that there are people who want to learn, are flexible in their beliefs, and who are kind and appreciative of others. It is absolutely a place to restore faith in humanity.

I think this sub is really important beyond just learning history, since it shows how to critically think about questions that don't have easily verifiable answers, or where all the facts aren't clear. I did Computer Science, and the amount of incorrect information that gets thrown around online is relatively small (by internet standards of course, though it does happen!), because it's comparatively straightforward to verify if something is true or not (run the program!).

With history, the information about the event can be incomplete, or there can be conflicting accounts, or accounts that have significant bias, or people can just make stuff up because their priority is to sell books anyways.

This sub shows, through really high quality answers, how to sift through all that and still present a useful answer, even if the answer is "we don't really know very well, here's why".

I am a little disappointed when I open the 28 comments for an interesting question, and find only a sea of [deleted]. But far more than that, I remain deeply impressed by the mods' tireless war against low effort posting, so that the door remains open for another great answer.

Best sub on reddit 10/10

I want to take this opportunity to throw in my own "thank you!" to the mods.

I completely agree. Even though the rules mean the silent majority can’t post, I still love being a part of this community

My favourite sub hands down. Always exciting for the subjects that are covered. Recently enjoyed with the topic being a murderer in middle ages in London, even spoke with friends about it.

And thank you so much to everyone who takes the time to write long, multi-paragraph answers that are easily digestible for all of us to understand!! Also the to people who come up with amazingly interesting questions that never seem to cross my mind! Thank you!!

I highly respect this sub for sticking to its method or criteria. It also makes me think critically about my personal sources of information.

Which is a question I would like to ask here to you guys, my fellow readers, as well: I believe (correct me if I’m wrong) that the responses here need to demonstrate to have followed a scientific method, citing sources, etc.

However, for some, especially in the Middle East, a lot of the sources are oral. Now Im not debating that there is a flaw in the rationale of oral sources, we are all aware that information does not pass 100% well through oral alone, but written works can get destroyed, altered, etc. Just as easily.

My point is: instead of saying personal experiences (ie, heard from my grandpa that it was this and this) are not valid responses, why not have a set up in which we clearly state the context, of said oral response. It is then up to the readers to debate the veracity / likeliness, etc.

My point being that all responses have a degree of validity that can be debated. So of someone asks, who built the pyramids? And I answer: according to Islamic folk lore it was built by Djinn (or demons?) that were under the control of King Solomon and this is mostly believed in areas XXX and YYY and country ZZZ has this variant to that same response, etc. It should still be a valid response because throughout history people believed it and maybe still do.

I know it didn’t answer the OP question, what Im trying to say is we should have a way to provide answers that are not academically valid, but in an academic way to promote discussion and analysis.

Yes!! Thank you to both the mods and all the writers. The quality of information in the answers that make it through moderation is just amazing and inspiring. Even more than that, they tend to be so incredibly entertaining, it is clear every day that the commenters care so deeply about their fields and about sharing what they know with whoever asks. It makes me so happy!

I spend a solid amount of my reddit time scrolling through this sub and discovering new questions that I'd never think to ask on my own. I save the unanswered ones to read later, and time after time I return to treasure troves of information. Thank you to everyone who keeps this place a bright spot on a too-often dark site.

Agreed, 100%.

This is not just my favourite subreddit, but also one of my favourite places on the internet. I've been following for years and this opinion hasn't changed one bit.

Shoutout to the amazing mods, for keeping this sub safe and sound !

This is awesome to read. This sub is an excellent example of the internet working as intended; the sharing of knowledge. Hats off to the mods. I don't know where they get the energy to fight the good fight but I damn well appreciate them doing it.

Thanks for saying what a lot of us (I assume) are thinking OP.

I'm honestly amazed how fair the mods are around here. Some... less specialized reddits are sometimes more power-hungry and delete posts left and right. Here, mods seem to understand that our knowledge doesn't come with sources attached and is rather a collection of experiences we had, so as long as we form our comments in a proper way, and provide useful information - even if at times it's flawed - it is easy to communicate.

I'm no historian, but I learn history (specifically up to 16th century) as a hobby (well, partially for work, but shh) every day, and sometimes get the flash "oh, I know this one!". My comments were never straight-out removed, as we all know - people will correct ya if you're wrong.

On the contrary, on some subs that are in my professional field, I've been asked to add sources to my posts. Like... my entire career?

So, yeah, thank you for being human and treating us as such. Y'all doing great job.

I'm another 'never comment, always enjoy' member. Thank you!

This subreddit has been beyond helpful for finding quality responses to questions that linger in my head after watching a movie or just in the middle of the day. The first day I joined this sub, I opened the FAQ and opened all the ones I was interested into new tabs. Needless to say, it took probably a full week before I cleared my browser. The mods and people who are so passionate about answering thoughtfully and footnotes that have aided in my own research are unsung heroes. Thank you all to making this my favorite slice of the internet.

Believe it or not, this sub is the reason I switched my major from accounting to history

I actually was thinking of making a thank you message similar to this. The historians haven't answered some of my really dumb questions (which is fair cause some of my questions are usually answerable via Google)but they present such a wealth of knowledge that an idiot like me who at one point thought I was a history god because I played games like CIv, total war and paradox games become more humble. They avoid bias as much as possible and always provide a huge amount of sources. Then there's the mods who deal with weird comments and idiots like me who comment before reading the rules. Both thank you for being patient with guys like me and sorry for being annoying. And lastly I think a huge thanks is deserved for the people who ask the questions. I've had a very eurocentric education and a lot of the questions are of things I would have never even heard of happening before. This is all around just an amazing sub

As a huge prolific lover of history, while I have contributed only a few times I keep coming back and loving many times. Great job

I once asked why pop songs are ~3 minutes long on this sub and got the most thorough answer imaginable. Fantastic sub, and thanks /u/hillsonghoods for putting in the work.

Defibitely agree. I'll take this occasion to also thank the mods for the hard work. You are very appreciated.

I'm blown away at level of effort put forth in responses sometimes. I'm pretty sure y'all have jobs (at least pre corona and summer) and have explained the same things 100 times, but you just keep going.

Big thanks to all the mods and actual historians.

I do worry about this subreddit though. I have seen some questions asked here which are down voted to the point they're marked as controversial. There's nothing inflammatory in those questions. Certainly a great sub for learning something new, I just wonder what else we would see if not for user votes.

I want to add my "thank you" to this community. AskHistorians is a precious source on Reddit and internet. Thank you!

I'm fairly new to this sub but it is of my favourite places on Reddit and the web in general. Thank you to the mods who are incredible, and thank you to questioners and all the people who answer. A fantastic community.

You said it!

And just while we're allowed to real briefly. Massive thank you to the mods from me too. You guys rock!

This place is a diamond in the rough, balanced discussion is a rare thing on the Internet nowadays. Best sub on reddit hands down, never difficult to learn something new and interesting ❤️

Completely agree! Don't think I've went a day on Reddit without learning something from this sub. And a shout-out to the moderators for keeping the quality of responses so top-notch.

The one thing I would like changed however is make sources mandatory in replies. There's been many times when an answer has had something to do with an essay I'm writing and I'm wanting the source so I can read more about it and hopefully it helps me with my essay, but on older comments it's often too late to ask for a source.

But that's only a minor pretty niche thing. A big thank you to everyone who asks the questions and answers them!

Thank you for sending me down rabbit holes of research into topics that have puzzled me for decades. I had a poor education and this sub has changed my life. There is a deep personal richness in discovery. The historians here have made me a rich old lady. I much appreciate all your work.

Thank you mods, we like this sub a lot!

I also want to add my thank you. Every time I visit my Reddit feed I hope to find an r/AskHistorians post(and I usually do). After reading a comprehensive answer on this sub I feel as if I didn't just visit reddit to quench my boredom but to learn something as well.

Thank you, squad of moderators, for your voluntary time and effort to bring us, millions of readers, the joy of being well informed on various topics of history!

I actually come here to learn

This is why I wish it wouldn't show up on my front page.

OMG Awesome question, 100 comments ... all deleted

I guess that's why it's such a great place though, only the relevant stuff makes it through.

I have learned sooo much from this subreddit, I can not thank you all enough. I actually hated learning about history until I got here and now I can't get enough. The professionalism and knowledge that you all display is astounding. Keep up the good work!

I consider this sub an indispensable resource. It's a magical thing to have a direct line to professionals on this stuff. I've especially learned a lot about historiography here and how to make good choices on proper learning materials. Thank you all who run this place for all you do!

I love this sub. Whenever I read a question I know the answer of, I immediately ask myself: "yes, but can I answer properly?" And usually I skip:) it's a great exercise in self restraint.

This sub is a wonder of the world. All my respect to the mods and contributors.

I've always (less than two years on Reddit) wanted to say something like this, but never have because I thought it would get deleted. Thank you for posting, thanks to the Mods for keeping this sub on the straight and narrow and a huge thanks to all the amazing people who have responded to all of these great questions with amazing and well written answers. I'm sure some of you get tired of the same questions getting asked, but for someone who hasn't seen them, they are new to me!

Thanks so much, I love this sub!

I'm new here, and I'm no historian, but I do love reading your answers and learning new things -- so much so that you're now my default "what to do when I have nothing to do" page. Thank you all!

Just want to chime in to agree. Most heavy-handedly moderated sub is also most even-handedly moderated sub, with best content-to-click ratio.

Thanks you magnificent bastards. You guys are like the Past in my Al Pastor.

My favorite thing about this sub is reading a super in depth answer and like ten minutes in being like "why do I care about [insert random super specific topic]?" And then I keep reading until I finish because it's strangely fascinating. So many things I didn't even know were a thing and I love it.

It is amazing to me that so many people here have enough knowlege, but mostly time, to write this stuff up. Thank you all

Although all the mods and answerers on here do an amazing job I'd like to say special thanks to /u/EnclavedMicrostate - their answers on Chinese history are always absolutely fascinating, detailed and easy to read but it seems the posts rarely get upvotes so the answers don't get as much exposure. But I always enjoy coming across one.

Nothing better than finding a thread asking a question you never knew you wanted the answer to. Fantastic community

Your timing of this post is uncanny to me because I quite literally just told a friend whom hasn't been on reddit long that he should check this sub out, how much I learn from it and that I wanted to read through the rules for posting because I would love to thank the whole community of the sub for that.

Cool coincidence!

This is an incredible community here that I love and adore. Perfect timing to! Interested lurkers and community members should check out yesterdays Rules Roundtable XXIV: What Can a Non-Flair Do to Help?

Best mods on reddit

Thank you mods !!

I follow r/history only because it reminds me of how extraordinarily good this is by comparison. Also, this thread is moderated with a professionalism that most corporations would be envious of. I've had questions I've posted in the past be removed, and never felt irritated or resentful because it's always been justified by the existence of a well thought out and longstanding policy, rather than being removed arbitrarily - and where a question has had merit, moderators have helped suggest ways to rephrase the question to be acceptable

I go to sleep with Ask Historians every night. I figure if I haven’t learned anything all day (not common), I still have a chance at night.

Yes! This sub is incredible and so, so interesting. And it's entirely due to the moderators and contributors! Thank you all so much for the immense amount of work that you put into this place to make it so great.

The only time this sub disappoints me is when I see a question I'm eager to learn about, see that it has several replies, but then when I open the thread they're all deleted.

But hell that tiny minute of disappointment is a price I gladly pay for knowing this place is well moderated and keeps to its rules. I said this before in a moderator-related thread, but hell its worth repeating: The mods foster a positive learning environment here, it is welcoming to all, as it should be. It's a small thing, but I appreciate it a lot. Thankyou AskHistorians mods!

Thank you!

Not my usual type of comment but "share the love"

Another person saying thanks you

Hear, hear!

This is what the internet should be used for.

Highest quality subreddit hands down and you can't argue.

you guys are awesome. thank you

I don’t think a day has gone by without my learning something.

I just had a shower thought that I learn a lot just from reading the questions on /r/AskHistorians , much less the answers. While it's disappointing to see empty answers, it's still fun to read and consider the interesting questions that pop up.

What they said. This is my favorite place on the internet.

I absolutely love this sub but I'll admit. I will see a brilliantly written question that paints an amazing picture only to realize it hadn't been answered. Depressing! But that's a testament to the idea that quality is above just filling a blank spot. So thank you for the hard work the mods put in and also the historians enlightening all of us.

Dear mods- your harsh enforcement of the rules is what allows this quality to flourish. Thank You

Best sub on reddit

Hear hear! Excellent moderation, excellent questions, and a highly knowledgable group of members who dedicate their precious time to informing and educating us all.

This sub is straight up education. The mods do a fantastic job and the overall knowledge here is inspiring and humbling.

I love this sub because of the high quality answers. I appreciate the hard work that the mods do to make sure that the answers are up to standards. I think it is my favorite sub ever! Thank you mods

Howcome so many comments are deleted on other posts? They just talking out their ass or what?

Hi I'm a russian bot, fite me irl

This is pretty much the only sub where I don't say anything unless I have something substantial and informative to say. A lot of times I just upvote posts with no comnents so they're more likely to get answers. But when I find something that has been answered it such a treat! The fact that most comments are by professionals in the field makes this qualitatively one of the best subs on Reddit.

I never post here, but lurk. Thank you so much for the contributors to this sub-reddit as I have learned so much.

Thank you.

highest return subreddit on the internet

yeah kinda weird that only Reddit has subreddits

I particularly enjoy the references to further reading that are often given for answers here, it has made major contributions to my reading list!

Best sub on reddit, by far

While this thread is active, I'll just toss in one more accolade. I love the professionalism here. I love the experts who take the time to craft outstanding and often lengthy replies to a multitude of topics. I love how much I learn here. None of this would be possible if not for the excellent framework for this sub, and the excellent (strict, fair and always keeping the sub on focus) moderation. Thanks guys!

I gotta hand it to the mods, they work tirelessly and usually with little thanks. But I know if I read an answer in here it's true.

Thanks for all the fantastic posts here! It's a team effort but that's a hell yeah to the mods!

Agreed! This is the one subreddit I can count on for informed answers, & I read it every day! I'm also very thankful for the mods & contributers who make it incredible!

Since this has a nice bit of attention with people coming through, I'm going to massively abuse my mod powers to sticky to the top a reminder that:

#The AskHistorians Digital Conference 2020 will be held Sept. 15th-17th

You can find more information at this announcement post or by visiting the Conference Website. For those wondering how things are progressing, you can always sign up for the Conference Newsletter to be the first to know, but we're super excited to be announcing the slate of panels later this week! We'll also be announcing the networking events later in the month.

Attendance and participation is entirely free, but if you are interested in helping support the endeavor, we do have a crowdfunding page which is used to offset some of the associated costs.

Also, we have an AMA today on the Medieval Caucasus with Dr. John Latham-Sprinkle. Make sure to check it out!

Absolutely! I did as the mods suggested and signed up for the subreddit summary bot to get a weekly digest, instead of hoping to find answers to questions the day they were posted. I always really look forward to my weekly dose of history!

I still wish the mods would implement something to indicate when a post has gotten a reply that isn't going to be deleted. I don't particularly care what people call it.

I realize the argument is "but, contributors don't want that!", I still want it as a person who reads things here.

I just wish that all answers in this subreddit would always include a TL;DR

This subreddit is great if you're not the one asking questions

This sub has gone down hill for me for the sheer amount of questions that get highly upvoted, yet have ZERO comments, and the ones that just have [deleted] all the way through.

Everything I care about has nothing, yet the most boring mundane questions get a 10 paragraph report.

Unpopular opinion. I don't like this subreddit at all. I get all excited about a subject, and even check ... 60 comments. Open it up. Nothing. Comment deleted. Comment deleted. Of 20 posts on this subreddit, 1 might have a response good enough.

I can't tell you how many times I open up a thread, curiosity aroused, only to be crushed by nothing. Another thread with nothing. What percentage of threads actually ever have a discussion? Very few. The perfect certainly gets in the way of the good.

AskHistorians is where good questions go to die.

I wish we had a sub for AskHistoryQuestions, then. It would be much more interesting and informative.

So, no thanks from me. This thread does more to discourage interest in learning about history than any place on reddit. So, sit on your academic thrones, mods, doing your great work of crushing interest and discussion about history. Nothing but empty threads. Yeah, I need to unsubscribe,