tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post2174054003616450397..comments2024-03-28T18:17:00.135-05:00Comments on Computational Complexity: RANT about Electronic RefereeingLance Fortnowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06752030912874378610noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-13510112679947949512007-08-29T13:51:00.000-05:002007-08-29T13:51:00.000-05:00The problem is not unique to journals. I've also ...The problem is not unique to journals. I've also become disgusted with easychair and their 'one size fits all' mentality about how program committees should work. Conferences with two-tier committees don't fit in the system. I also have a requirement for serving on program committees that I will only do it if I have the ability to see all papers that I do not have a conflict of interest on. That way I can compare the papers I am reviewing to the general mix of papers and get a global feel for the content of the program. Most program chairs end up ignoring that rule, so I'm getting reluctant to accept ANY program committee assignments.<BR/><BR/>These tools are supposed to make science work more smoothly - not interfere with the quality of the editorial process. In many ways we were better off to have humans making decisions according to whatever conditions were appropriate.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-33667474217671198992007-08-29T13:27:00.000-05:002007-08-29T13:27:00.000-05:00I agreed to review a paper for them in Sept., with...I agreed to review a paper for them in Sept., with a January target date. Personal events pushed that to early July, when...my listing as referee had vanished! <BR/><BR/>I wrote the report (finishing it on a plane) anyway, and sent it by e-mail with due apologies. After 3 automatic replies, I got a real one, saying the report was most timely and appreciated! <BR/><BR/>The disconnect between communication and expectation is the issue here. The system may save time and annoyance for editors, but leaves both editors and reviewers more in the dark about what the status is, and sometimes the personal touch is nicer even when you're the one being nagged...KWReganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09792573098380066005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-61385727903797559332007-08-29T12:53:00.000-05:002007-08-29T12:53:00.000-05:00SOL?SOL = Second Order Logic.<I>SOL?</I><BR/><BR/>SOL = Second Order Logic.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-2614292799987541882007-08-29T11:01:00.000-05:002007-08-29T11:01:00.000-05:00I love rant. Rant is something which describes the...I love rant. Rant is something which describes the pain and give an opportunity to cure it. Keep it comin'.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-63204256334268179342007-08-29T09:40:00.000-05:002007-08-29T09:40:00.000-05:00then they are SOL.SOL?<I>then they are SOL.</I><BR/><BR/>SOL?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-38904041596893391912007-08-29T05:13:00.000-05:002007-08-29T05:13:00.000-05:00I have a very simple policy. I will accept a copy...I have a very simple policy. I will accept a copy of the paper, and I will write a report and send it to the editor by email. If they have a web site, it has to be as simple as that. If it isn't, I (a) don't do the mundane data-entry, and (b) complain. If they won't either do it for me or otherwise circumvent their system, then they are SOL.<BR/><BR/>Works for me!Sočahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09369029379493432025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-1309394452874654272007-08-29T03:33:00.000-05:002007-08-29T03:33:00.000-05:00Thank you for your rant. I so totally agree. I c...Thank you for your rant. I so totally agree. I can't deal with automated emails asking me to check a website to find a paper (can't just email it?), but to access it I first have to ask for another email to reset my password (which email may or may not ever arrive).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-80061299559948977472007-08-28T17:02:00.000-05:002007-08-28T17:02:00.000-05:00Which publisher do you think have the nicest tex/l...Which publisher do you think have the nicest tex/latex style?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-49088850013373942042007-08-28T01:27:00.000-05:002007-08-28T01:27:00.000-05:00...let's talk about the painfully annoying style f...<I>...let's talk about the painfully annoying style files IEEE and ACM require.</I><BR/><BR/>Oh yes, let's. Why does IEEE think that it is a good idea to have text in Times yet equations in Computer Modern? It's not laziness. They actively changed my all-Times article into their hybrid house style. Does anybody have any idea?Wim van Damhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14484831637730978511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-36129904158189068752007-08-27T22:26:00.000-05:002007-08-27T22:26:00.000-05:00To Bill, Thanks!To Bill, Thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-83862830154723545632007-08-27T18:55:00.000-05:002007-08-27T18:55:00.000-05:00Michael Mitzenmacher says:Odd. I'm reviewing for ...Michael Mitzenmacher says:<BR/><BR/>Odd. I'm reviewing for Transactions on Information Theory, an IEEE journal. It's not a warm and fuzzy electronic system, but it's generally easier than what you describe. (I have to cut/paste their bizarre paper reference number and password, but that's about it.) It's probably on a different system, or maybe they really have all my info since I've reviewed for them before.<BR/><BR/>You want to hear me rant, let's talk about the painfully annoying style files IEEE and ACM require...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-71386143403668882262007-08-27T17:24:00.000-05:002007-08-27T17:24:00.000-05:00So this paper must be on combinatorial recursion t...So this paper must be on combinatorial recursion theory then?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-20374272912279732002007-08-27T16:38:00.000-05:002007-08-27T16:38:00.000-05:00(This is Bill G.)The Journal wasTransactions on De...(This is Bill G.)<BR/>The Journal was<BR/><BR/>Transactions on Dependable<BR/>and Secure Computing.<BR/>It is an IEEE journal.<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>ALSO- Kurt, even though<BR/>you didn't ask, I WILL put<BR/>you on my blog roll. Your<BR/>blog is about complexity<BR/>theory, so its CERTAINLY<BR/>in scope.GASARCHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06134382469361359081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-54273759926958441612007-08-27T16:20:00.000-05:002007-08-27T16:20:00.000-05:00Bill: It would be a useful service to point out w...Bill: It would be a useful service to point out which journal or publisher this came from so that unsuspecting authors who don't want to subject their reviewers to this can avoid sending papers there.<BR/><BR/>(It seems likely that the detailed questions are so that the publisher can do targeted marketing rather than because they need the information. I would refuse to answer such questions. If that disqualifies me as a reviewer then that's fine with me.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-29587999826938391452007-08-27T13:58:00.000-05:002007-08-27T13:58:00.000-05:00Talking about badly design online interfaces... Ou...Talking about badly design online interfaces... Our company is listed on the Portuguese Stock Exchange. The regulatory entity (the equivalent of the SEC) requires we file every year a questionnaire. Here's the method:<BR/><BR/>1. The questions come on a Word .doc, each question being given a numeric code.<BR/>2. A separate Excel .xls is provided, with the codes already in place.<BR/>3. The answers have to be written in the .xls file, which must be saved as a .csv file<BR/>4. The .csv file must be renamed .dat<BR/>5. This file is then uploaded on their extranet<BR/><BR/>They don't think this is byzantine enough, so they added the following kinks:<BR/><BR/>- The .csv file in question is required to use ";" instead of "," as the delimiter, due to the Portuguese standards.<BR/>- This file, when uploaded, if there are any errors, you get the first error on the file, with the format being "error on line x, upload aborted" (meaning that we had to upload the file around 50 times until we managed to fix all the errors...)<BR/><BR/>Now for the worst part - this story is not from 1996 - it's from 2006...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-68929019772024488502007-08-27T13:54:00.000-05:002007-08-27T13:54:00.000-05:00The same thing happened to me recently (from your ...The same thing happened to me recently (from your description, I suspect we were dealing with the same publishing company), and I almost turned down the request on those grounds. Ultimately I felt bad for the authors of the paper and agreed to do it after sending a nasty email to the editor (to forward to the publisher).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-73836248028199099462007-08-27T13:42:00.000-05:002007-08-27T13:42:00.000-05:00This sounds like a typical encounter with one of t...This sounds like a typical encounter with one of the spawns of the behemoth Elsevier!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-23723968841669985282007-08-27T13:29:00.000-05:002007-08-27T13:29:00.000-05:00You don't mention which organization/publisher you...You don't mention which organization/publisher you were dealing with, but I think it's kind of ironic that a system presumably designed specifically for computer scientists to use would be so weak on the human-computer-interface elements.<BR/><BR/>Since you're only ranting today, would you mind if I (just slightly) spam your comments? I'll be hosting the 16th Carnival of Mathematics on 9/7 over at my <A HREF="http://learningcomputation.com/blog/" REL="nofollow">blog</A> (which is not on your blogrole, but I understand...). If any of your readers have any math or TCS posts they'd like to contribute, we'd love to have them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com