A lot of time and wasted e-mail ink has been spent discussing this
issue. It is a professional and personal decision about whether one
attends a conference like SHA or not. If someone doesn't want to
attend, so be it.
It serves no purpose to castigate those that will choose to attend SHA.
Those that do not intend to come to the conference: fine, we get it,
move on.
There must be a better historical archaeology thread out there than
this.
Tim
-----Original Message-----
From: Elizabeth Davoli <[log in to unmask]>
To: HISTARCH <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wed, May 15, 2013 2:18 pm
Subject: Re: Why YOU should come to SHA Quebec 2014
Berating colleagues for attending conferences has yet to eliminate
conferences.
Some archaeologists choose to belong to organizations funded by the
collection of dues, others don't. Some BA/BS degree holders choose to
enroll in a graduate program to earn a higher degree, others don't.
Some college graduate archaeologists choose a career with private
contracting firms, others choose a career in government (local, state,
or federal), and others choose to work in a completely different field.
If one chooses not to attend a conference, is there an expectation that
others must abide by that choice and not attend?
Liz
On Wed, 15 May 2013 16:56:49 -0400, sent <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Again sacrificing jobs and research for the feel good of human contact
>I cant see why this justifies such sacrifice.
>As you point out the job can be done with electronic communication
>
>We owe the public the most inexpensive solution and it has been
demonstrated
>that traditional
>conferencing is the most expensive solution for doing the same thing-
>communicating and discussing.
>
>If you want face to face discover free good and easy skype
>
>If you want to exhange papers and even co author them use google docs
>
>for recreation and travel- well use your own money- or volunteer to do
>archeology in a nice setting
>
>Easy
>
>Conrad Bladey
>Archeologist
>Peasant
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: [log in to unmask]
>Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2013 4:50 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Why YOU should come to SHA Quebec 2014
>
>I really have to weigh in here. I know what it was like to attend
>virtually no conferences early in my career and what it is like to do
at
>least two
>per year now (ACRA and SHA, sometimes SAA). Both my business and my
>company's work has improved dramatically, with a lot of that due to
face to
>face
>interaction with people in the field. I have picked up many innovative
>ideas, made many changes in the way that I do work and just became more
>enthused with archaeology on a regular basis by attending and
participating
>(an
>important component - giving papers, participating in symposia, doing
>posters, serving the organizations on committees and as officers,
etc. - I
>was
>chair of the 1999 SHA Conference in Salt Lake City).
>
>While I have not expected to generate new work from these attendances,
it
>has happened over the years. I also have, no doubt, that there have
been
>projects we have done that have been the result of farther flung
>connections
>made at conferences that I have no idea came from there.
>
>Electronic communication is wonderful and a great way to share specific
>information and keep in touch, but humans are humans. There is no
>substitute
>for person to person interaction, body language, interacting with
multiple
>people at once, experiencing the book room, personally interacting with
>people who create posters, the venue and city in which the conference
is
>held. Getting to know archaeologists, historians, architectural
historians
>and
>others over the years has enhanced my understanding of and joy in the
>profession, made my work better, and generated friendships for my wife
>(also an
>archaeologist) and myself that I would not trade for all of the
electronic
>communications available, hands down.
>
>Mike Polk
>Sagebrush Consultants, L.L.C.
>Ogden, Utah
>
>
>In a message dated 5/15/2013 2:05:07 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time,
>[log in to unmask] writes:
>
>Exactly it is black and white that is why it is so important. We have
more
>ways to promote interaction other than conferencing than ever in
>history-why
>are we using this
>expensive method which takes jobs and detracts from our ability to
address
>the research?
>
>Communication is communication- all the things you mention can be
>generated
>by electronic communication-its easy-
>
>It is like people are insisting that we put our postal mail back on
horses
>and stage coaches because it feels better- terrible foundation for the
>argument for communication!
>
>
>Conrad Bladey
>Archeologist
>Peasant
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Kimberly Wooten
>Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2013 2:36 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Why YOU should come to SHA Quebec 2014
>
>That's your black and white argument. I think the flip side being that
>attendance at conferences generates new ideas, enthusiasm, and
>professional
>contacts, all of which lead to funding and preservation
opportunities, and
>if I enjoy myself, regardless of the personal finical decisions I
make to
>attend a conference (locally or internationally), so much the better.
VTCs
>are another option, happen frequently where I work, and are often
employed
>in conjunction with professional meetings. The point of my message
was to
>be
>supportive of a peer charged with the task of promoting an important
>conference. Kimberly
>
>
>
>> Date: Wed, 15 May 2013 14:10:36 -0400
>> From: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: Why YOU should come to SHA Quebec 2014
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>
>> So the fun and travel is worth limiting funding, employment and
>necessary
>> conservation and fieldwork?
>>
>> Look into the many ways you can do really clear visual and audio
>> conferencing-free
>>
>> Conrad
>>
>> Thank you in advance for your prompt response!
>>
>>
>> On May 15, 2013, at 1:48 PM, Kimberly Wooten
<[log in to unmask]>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > Let me try this again... As archaeologists, it is almost a given
that
>> > most of us are not living the high life. I admit it can be a
financial
>
>> > strain on my family to attend a conference, but we choose to do
this;
>we
>> > can't always attend annually and are careful with those meetings
we do
>> > attend. The SHA meetings in York, England, several years ago were
>> > wonderful and nothing can compare to meeting people face-to-face,
>having
>> > my enthusiasm for my chosen field renewed by this contact and some
>> > excellent presentations, all wrapped in the bonus visiting
beautiful
>> > places. Technology has its important uses, but its limits as
well. I
>for
>> > one, will be happy to attend the meetings in Quebec City. Kimberly
>> >
>> >
>> >> Date: Wed, 15 May 2013 01:17:50 +0000
>> >> From: [log in to unmask]
>> >> Subject: Why YOU should come to SHA Quebec 2014
>> >> To: [log in to unmask]
>> >>
>> >> See the Society for Historical Archaeology’s latest blog, “Why
YOU
>> >> should come to Quebec in 2014”
>> >>
>http://www.sha.org/blog/index.php/2013/05/why-you-should-come-to-quebec-
in-2014/
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> William Moss
>> >> Conference Chair / 47th Conference on Historic and Underwater
>> >> Archaeology
>> >> Président du Comité organisateur / 47e Colloque sur l'archéologie
>> >> historique et subaquatique
>> >> www.sha2014.com<http://www.sha2014.com/>
>> >
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