[seqfan] Re: Don't delete a sequence w/o consulting an Ed-in-Chief!

Richard Mathar mathar at strw.leidenuniv.nl
Sun Dec 5 14:56:37 CET 2010


http://list.seqfan.eu/pipermail/seqfan/2010-December/006637.html ponders

ap> Date: Sat, 4 Dec 2010 15:25:23 -0500
ap> From: Alexander P-sky
ap> To: Sequence Fanatics Discussion list <seqfan at list.seqfan.eu>
ap> Subject: [seqfan] Re: Don't delete a sequence w/o consulting an Ed-in-Chief!
ap> 
ap> "Please note that all contributions to OeisWiki are contributed under
ap> The OEIS Contributor's License Agreement, and may be edited, altered,
ap> or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to
ap> be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here."
ap> 
ap> should be reworded ?
ap> 
ap> Especially the word "mercilessly" in above is not looking "attractive" ...

This is the very purpose of "mercilessly," not to look attractive.
   At the end of the day, correctness plus readability of the contents of the
database is what counts; the standards of publishing in any journal are the
guideline, if there are any doubts. Serving the ego of the author is not one
of the priorities.
   Merciless editing --by anyone else but the author-- indicates that
there is some "hidden" truth in various forms of display of formulas, relations
to other sequences etc, which can be uncovered by brutal forms of shuffling of
logic, correction of indices, formulas, A-numbers, terms, removal of philosophical
historical anecdotes etc.
   This principle of merciless editing is what salvages many submissions which
otherwise would be considered beyond repair, i.e., which could not pass
conformance tests or peer reviews if they were submitted to reviewed journal.

Richard Mathar




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