Cyberling 2009
Last week I attended Cyberling 2009, "a workshop exploring how computational methods can enhance traditional linguistic inquiry". The workshop was organized by panels on different topics, ranging from tools to funding models. I co-chaired (along with Mary Beckman) the panel on "Annotation Standards". Overall, it was fun, if for no other reason that I had the opportunity to meet a few people who I knew by reputation by not by personal acquaintance (e.g., Mark Lieberman). But I fear that it might have been a case of preaching to the converted. I know from personal experience that a lot will have to change within the culture of academic linguistics before we can expect computational tools to be fully integrated into working practice as a matter of course. (Among linguists who do fieldwork, for example, a misguided neo-luddite machismo is depressingly prevalent. ) But at least there are linguists pushing the field in that direction.