LINGUIST List 17.909
Fri Mar 24 2006
Astonishment: from Hammers to LINGUIST List
Editor for this issue: Tetyana Sydorenko
<tanyalinguistlist.org>
Directory
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linguist,
Editor Kevin Burrows on entering LINGUIST
Message 1: Editor Kevin Burrows on entering LINGUIST
Date: 24-Mar-2006
From: linguist <linguistlinguistlist.org>
Subject: Editor Kevin Burrows on entering LINGUIST
During this last summer, I had been shepherded into the LINGUIST List office by oneof my favorite professors. She had suggested that I speak with Anthony Aristar aboutthe possibility of me gaining some employment. At the time, I was working as acarpenter for a friend, but the project was coming to a close. I was looking for someother way to pay my bills, but the thought of working for a functioning linguisticorganization had never realistically crossed my mind. I had always worked with myhands, so the notion of employment in such an academic setting was a little morethan just a bit intimidating. I was nervous that I would be unqualified andill-prepared. It's astounding how right I was!
Within a fortnight (or two) I was put into the position of editor of the Conferencesarea. Not only was I responsible for the posting of important and prominentconferences from around the globe, I was corresponding with established and importantlinguists from various different fields, many of whom to me had only been names intextbooks and research before. The astonishment of such an interaction with thosethat I had esteemed so highly was rather flabbergasting, especially to a boy whothought that he was doomed, more or less, to a life of swinging hammers and carryingheavy things.
Not too long thereafter, I realized the complexity and importance of LINGUIST. I canassure you that I had never had any experience in the maintenance of an academic website.And I soon began to understand that the people of LINGUIST had never quite done anythingof the like before working here. I was, and still am, so terribly impressed by thecompetence and diligence of all of my coworkers as they, with an incredibly professionalorganization, managed to undertake such an overwhelming onus. The amazing thing isthat they actually were the ones who had developed the original site, worked tirelesslyto maintain its integrity and functionality, and additionally participated in projectslike E-MELD, OLAC, etc. and constantly projecting more ideas and inventions that willforever help the field of linguistics, and many other academic branches to boot. Thepeople of LINGUIST really deserve an incredible amount of applause for all that they havelearned and strive to gain in order to assist the field of linguistics. They are the mosthard working and underpaid individuals that I have ever met, and I am terribly proudto be a part of that organization (though now, I suppose, I am also in thatunenviable category of the overwhelmed).
Just being part of such a thing as LINGUIST has been quite an experience. I stillam overwhelmed with the capacity of all of my fellow workers, and am absolutely in aweof the energy and intelligence of our moderators Helen and Anthony. This entireexperience has been quite the inspiration of my life. I could prattle on and onabout many of the things that we do here, and about all of the incredible peoplethat I have met and befriended, but that could literally go on for quite some time.I would simply like to thank everybody involved, especially those of you whocontribute your time, money, and effort into making the LINGUIST List all thatit is today, which is something incredible and critical to the world, and one ofthe most important opportunities to me and to everyone of the other talentedand intelligent people that I work with.
Thanks,Kevin BurrowsCalls and Conferences Editor
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