No credit to me, but I subscribed to the Ballad List (where the idea for the Ballad Index originated) for a couple of years. The list is populated by a bunch of scholarly well-informed types like Bruce O, Holly Tannen and --oh geez, names escape me,duh, but some pretty amazing folks--as well as a few awed folkie riff-raff hanging around the edges. The list was pretty quiet one month--then someone or other said, "say, why don't we cross-reference all the English-language ballads in the various collections by type, titles and alternates, theme etc." and suddenly there was this explosion of activity as people started to discuss the ins and outs, mechanics, and division of labor--Bob Waltz took responsibility for coordinating and compiling-- (it was kind of "pick a book", starting with Child, then Doerflinger, etc. etc.).

You see the result. This was an outstanding example of spontaneous Net-provoked collaborative scholarship. Somebody ought to write a thesis on its gestation.

Who me? I didn't do nothin. Just watched em go.

The list is ballad-l@indiana.edu

Bill