LR tips之mail list

所谓LR tip系列其实就是linguistics research tips，总结一下自己这一年多做研究的经验，供自己以后借鉴，也和大家分享一下...

今天所要探讨的话题是mail list，也就是邮件列表！所谓邮件列表，参见wiki：

An electronic mailing list (sometimes written as elist or e-list) is a special usage of email that allows for widespread distribution of information to many Internet users. It is similar to a traditional mailing list — a list of names and addresses — as might be kept by an organization for sending publications to its members or customers, but typically refers to four things: a list of email addresses, the people ("subscribers") receiving mail at those addresses, the publications (e-mail messages) sent to those addresses, and a reflector, which is a single e-mail address that, when designated as the recipient of a message, will send a copy of that message to all of the subscribers.

记得大一上语法课的时候，导师就提及过一个叫做Linguist List, 当时只有初步的影响，并没有太在意...

之后和导师谈及了申研和工作的问题，导师说，你不妨自己去订阅Linguist List，上面有很详尽的信息。

我跑去一看，觉得就是一个mailing list，好像也没什么新奇之处，只是顺手订了几个list，和自己的方向有关的。这样的mailing list在一般大型的学术网站都有，比如会提示subscribe to mail list，只要在按照上面的要求填写，今后就会收到邮件列表。放心，老外很重视邮件列表，基本每期都会按时到达，不会自动退订，只有你要求退订并按提示发送邮件之后，才能退订。这是因为老外很注重邮件这一工具，回复效率极高，举个例子，我昨晚看到Linguist List 上有个网址链接错误，顺手report了，尽早就收到他们的回复。要是在国内，根本不可能有这样的效率，曾经在apple.cn上看到有明显错误，于是去邮给apple.cn，邮件早已泥牛入海，错误呢，到时改正了...

扯远了点，这个Linguist List 更新很快，差不多明天都会有digest送达，只要浏览下就能了解内容，一般在邮件开头有个内容介绍 ，叫做Today's Topics，如果实在懒得读邮件，瞄一眼这个就行，像我就是这样... 邮件的内容是按这个Today's Topics排列的，篇幅很长，因为这个list是根据Linguist List 网页上的内容编写的，Linguist List 网页上有多少内容，list上就有多少内容...

list的内容很丰富，像我所订阅的list上，会有conference的消息，有journal的消息，有求助的消息，有position的消息，不一而足...

我很后悔，我一直把Linguist List当作普通的邮件列表，直到上周，我发现我错了！

上周仔细研究list的时候，发现其中的信息实在太丰富了，仔细研究了一下，其实Linguist List不仅仅是一个mailing list的发送者，完全是一个linguistics的消息源，上面收集了各种和linguistic这个学科有关的消息。只要你需要的，几乎都能找到，只要订阅邮件列表，这些消息就会乖乖地跑到你的邮箱...

以后再详细介绍Linguist List的使用方法吧，下面附上wiki关于Linguist List的介绍：

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LINGUIST_List

最后想说，其实这个list不光对做语言学的很有帮助，对学计算机学科的也很有帮助，不信的的话，大家可以自己去看看！

祝好！

从今天起

从今天起，我打算在此记录申请MPhil的点点滴滴...

先摘抄一段刚写在space上的文字：

那天在床上突然那个到了现在的这个题目，自以为很新鲜，于是动手做了起来。写了RP，联系了referee, 一切貌似顺利...可是当我查找references的时候，我完全找不到理论支撑，其实我先前早有预计，这个题目完全是跨界研究，几乎无人涉足过...

我知道这样很冒险，但是我还是打算做下去...我不知道这么做是不是快疯了，反正尝试一下也未尝不可...

在申请mphil的同时，我还打算申请个workshop玩玩，反正有travel awards可以申请...再说有大牛辅导做论文岂不是更妙？

早上仔细研究了linguist mail，发现这东西巨好！老外做事的确细致认真，这么一个网站，就把世界上几乎所有关于linguistics学科的事件说得清清楚楚。翻了翻其中的linguists，发现自己只认识Noam Chomsky。强烈推荐那个student portal，太棒了！

无意中上了LSA的网站，里面有个annual conference的申请，居然提供travel awards，试着填了，上面有少数族裔的倾斜政策，真是政治正确无处不在。我写了Asian，呵呵。无奈那个PDF一邮寄就出问题，而且还要导师的推荐，于是我放弃了...

吃完晚饭，试着用twitter做了垂直搜索，结果CL是个冷门的学问，连twitter上的用户都不多...好歹找到几个，都follow了, 唉...

最后附上几个链接：

http://citationmachine.net/

http://www.calvin.edu/library/knightcite/

两个都是用来编辑references用的，希望对大家有所帮助

Personal Statement: Top 10 Rules and Pitfalls(RT)

Writing the Personal Statement: Top 10 Rules

1. Strive for depth rather than breadth. Narrow focus to one or two key themes, ideas or experiences
2. Try to tell the reader something that no other applicant will be able to say
3. Provide the reader with insight into what drives you
4. Be yourself, not the 'ideal' applicant
5. Get creative and imaginative in the opening remarks, but make sure it's something that no one else could write
6. Address the school's unique features that interest you
7. Focus on the affirmative in the personal statement; consider an addendum to explain deficiencies or blemishes
8. Evaluate experiences, rather than describe them
9. Proofread carefully for grammar, syntax, punctuation, word usage, and style
10. Use readable fonts, typeface, and conventional spacing and margins

Writing the Personal Statement: Top 10 Pitfalls

1. Do not submit an expository resume; avoid repeating information found elsewhere on the application
2. Do not complain or whine about the "system" or circumstances in your life
3. Do not preach to your reader. You can express opinions, but do not come across as fanatical or extreme
4. Do not talk about money as a motivator
5. Do not discuss your minority status or disadvantaged background unless you have a compelling and unique story that relates to it
6. Do not remind the school of its rankings or tell them how good they are
7. Do not use boring clichéd intros or conclusions
   • "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is..."
   • "This question asks me to discuss..."
   • "I would like to thank the admissions committee for considering my application."
   • "It is my sincere hope that you will grant me the opportunity to attend your fine school."
   • "In sum, there are three reasons why you should admit me..."
8. Do not use unconventional and gimmicky formats and packages
9. Do not submit supplemental materials unless they are requested
10. Do not get the name of the school wrong
11. Do not incorporate technical language or very uncommon words

Stewart, Mark Alan. Perfect Personal Statements. New York: Simon & Schuster Macmillan, 1996.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/642/04/