Today:
Welcome to this week's instalment of /r/AskHistorians' Sunday Digest (formerly the Day of Reflection). Nobody can read all the questions and answers that are posted here, so in this thread we invite you to share anything you'd like to highlight from the last week - an interesting discussion, an informative answer, an insightful question that was overlooked, or anything else.
The Digest is also a chance to shout out those interesting yet overlooked posts that still cry out for an answer. Feel free to post your own, or others you came across and liked.
/u/The-Voice-Of-Dog asked What was COD, how did it work, why did so many commercials specify "No COD," and why was it phased out?
/u/tripping_on_phonics asked The printing press substantially predates both the US Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Why were the final versions of both documents painstakingly written by hand?
/u/AlviseFalier asked Is there any verdict on intergenerational prosperity transmission in the Soviet Union?
At long last, it is once again time for another installment of "The Real Questions", where we take a look at the wilder side of r/AskHistorians! Here, I give a shout-out to people asking the more atypical questions on this sub: questions that investigate amusing, unique, bizarre, or less common aspects of history, as well as ones that take us through intriguing adventures of historiography/methodology or niche/overlooked topics and moments in history. It's always a wide (and perhaps confusing) assortment of topics, but at the end of the day, when I see them I think, "Finally, someone is asking the real questions!"
Due to budget cuts, I'm experimenting with how I actually handle The Real Questions. Among other things, that means I'm probably switching to making this a monthly feature rather than weekly. Hence, the hiatus. But, here we are again!
Below are my entries for the week last month - questions with a link to an older response are marked with ‡. Let me know what you think were the realest questions you saw this week month, and be sure to check out my full list of Real Questions.
It’s the start of September, and that brings with it a new shiny digest for everyone to enjoy! Check out the hundreds of great history threads, and don’t forget to show some appreciation for the hard working contributors!
Don’t forget to check out the weekly features and some special events!
Monday Methods: Performative Diplomacy and the Study of 20th Century Diplomatic History was fantastic thanks to /u/Xuande88.
No one can stop me from relinking, so here’s Happy 10th Birthday AskHistorians! Thank you everyone for a wonderful first decade, and for more to come. Now as is tradition, you may be lightly irreverent in this thread.
There’s some good stuff in the Thursday Reading & Rec along with some folks still looking for help.
The party continues in the Friday Free for All!
/u/EnclavedMicrostate starred in the Saturday Showcase | September 04, 2021
And that wraps me up for another week everyone. You have yourselves a fantastic time out there, and I’ll see you next Sunday!
Catch-up from last month: /u/AgentIndiana on As Ethiopia is one of the first Christian nations, how were they viewed by the Europeans?
/u/amadis_de_gaula on Was there a real life equivalent to "Dungeons and Dragons Adventurers"?
/u/Anekdota-Press on Was racism a problem within pirate crews?
