Chaucernet is an electronic forum, or academic discussion group, devoted to Chaucer studies. Its membership consists of professors, graduate students, undergraduates, and others from all over the world who either specialize in--or are merely interested in--Chaucer, his works, and related topics. Like other academic networks on the Internet, Chaucernet costs nothing to join.

Once you become a member of Chaucernet, you immediately start receiving all the mail sent to the network by other members. This may range from as few as three or four messages a day to as many as fifteen or twenty, depending on the day and time of year. The volume is lightest in the summer and on holidays and weekends and heaviest during the regular school year during the week.

The messages vary in length from less than a line to several screens full, but most are generally a paragraph or two, and the topic will have something to do with Chaucer. For example, one member may ask a question or make a comment pertaining to the Prioress's Tale and attitudes toward Jews in fourteenth-century England. Then, in the following days this member's query may evoke one or more responses by other members, and messages on this topic will run concurrently with other questions and comments on different Chaucer topics: how much memorization to include in a Chaucer course, questions about Chaucer's travels in Italy, and so on. Sometimes the discussion may be something you are interested in, sometimes not. When it isn't, you can just delete the message and go on to the next one.

You can get to the instructions for subscribing to Chaucernet by returning to the Chaucer page and going to the file entitled "How to Subscribe to Chaucernet," or you can simply click here.

© Edwin Duncan. All rights reserved. This document may be distributed as long as it is done with all attributions of the author. Commercial distribution is prohibited.