sey075

 *** SECTION ADDED, AUGUST 1, 2015: I think I fired off the following post to hastily. I took the time to actually read/skim the paper in question, and its really not too bad! In fact, I think it does a good job in synthesizing quite a bit of material on state formation in Postclassic Mesoamerica. So I have posted the paper in case anyone is interested. I'll leave the post unchanged below. I think it points out an issue about scholarship and publishing that doesn't get discussed too much: the emotional side. I am emotionally invested in my research and publishing. I am a scholar. This is what I do, and I have strong emotions connected with my publications. Most of these are positive. But sometimes when there are unpleasant experiences associated with writing or producing a written work, I end up with a vague negative feeling about that work. In the present case, an unpleasant experience with the edited volume (which tapped into long-standing resentments about how Old World sch...

I have been using Academia.edu increasingly. I now post all of my current papers there, and sometimes for displacement activity I'll take a few minutes to post some older papers. There are more and more people on the service, and it has turned into a very useful resource. A few years ago I posted,   'How useful is Academia.edu? " My evaluation then was generally positive, with a few negative features. Since then, they have fixed a couple of the negative features, and others don't seem quite so serious now. It would be useful if all academics should set up a page on Academia.edu. I always urge students to set up their own page; its a good way to become an active part of a wider professional and intellectual community, to make yourself known, and to get access to current research. I won't urge colleagues to use the service, though. Archaeologists can be rather ornery people, and in my experience if you preach to them they will either ignore you or perhaps do the ...