Yet there is a kernel of truth to this (still, as of 2014), in that the teaching of digital history perspectives and method are not yet in the mainstream of the profession
I can definitely relate to this. I've had very little exploration from other HIST classes into the tools discussed above. It's unfortunate considering the overwhelming importance of some previously hidden trends (as evidenced above).
Tackling a dataset of this size, however, requires specialized tools. Once digitized, it was made available to the public through keyword searches. Big data methodologies, however, offered new opportunities to make sense of this very old historical material
I find it fascinating that the evolution of digitising history continues to create exponentially more opportunities for historians and the public to data mine precisely. Each building block within the process allows more refined information gathering and encourages the "forking" of thought paths.