LINGUIST List 12.1487

Mon Jun 4 2001

Disc: Suggestion for "On-line Conferences"

Editor for this issue: Karen Milligan <karenlinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Larry, Disc: Re: Suggestion for "On-line Conferences"

Re: Linguist 12.1463

SharbaniI Banerji wrote:
[...]
> It is my request to all the organizers of Conferences to consider this
> problem and perhaps to make some arrangements so that Conferences can
> be held 'ON-LINE' more often. OR alternatively, to make provisions
> for papers to be read 'in absentia'. Of course, there would not be any
> discussions then! Perhaps someone has some ideas for solution(s) for
> this situation?

Hello everybody on line, I would like to address the comment "Of course,
there would not be any discussions then!".

Real-time video conferencing via internet is already technically posible in
many parts of the world, and even in countries with communication links
that are generally slower or have lower bandwidth, many researchers can
sometimes afford to travel to those places in their own country (or perhaps
a neighbouring country) where facilites for real-time video conferencing
may be available. If even that is not possible, then real-time
participation in at least a question-and-answer session via telephone is
often still feasible.

And, as Turkay Bulut suggested, joining a discussion on line and answering
any questions via e-mail is yet another option. This very mailing list is a
good illustration what can be done with very simple means. :-)

Furthermore, electronic bulletin boards and communication tools/processes
called IRC, ICQ, "Instant Messenger", and so on, are already being used
effectively by hundreds of thousands of (mostly young) people to establish
and maintain communication in groups that are geographically as widely
dispersed as the paricipants at our conferences. These young people
probably consider our style of conferencing quaint - or worse. Let us learn
from them. :-)

I am confident that the technical and the structural and organisational
problems related to such tele-conferencing, as requested by SharbaniI
Banerji and Turkay Bulut, can be overcome through appropriate allocation of
funds and through planning and training of both the support staff and the
participants in such conferencing events - what is left to tackle are the
obstacles in our minds.

Larry