Reversing the fossilization of computer science conferences

Computer science research famously distinguishes itself from other fields by the prevalent role of conferences as a publication venue rather than just a meeting opportunity. For two decades, academics have been discussing this phenomenon, usually to lament it. Top conferences have tweaked their selection mechanisms by introducing such features as multi-cycle reviews and journal-first publication, which have not fundamentally altered the picture. For better or worse, conferences remain the first choice for first publication of new research. Why not, after all? What counts is not the medium, but whether the publication culture fosters innovation. Conferences as they exist do not entirely succeed in that role. People attending the main conferences in each subfield of the discipline increasingly complain of the banality of many contributions (theirs excluded, of course). A number of important papers of recent years were not published in traditional academic conferences (such as those orga ... Read full article.