Information about Electronic Submissions for FOCS 2002

Written originally by Samuel A. Rebelsky
Last modified January 06, 2002 by Bernard Chazelle

Contact information

The contact person for this conference is You may contact this person with questions about the electronic submissions process when other avenues fail.

This person is a volunteer, so please only contact him/her for problems not handled by the submissions server or this document. Do not contact the conference chair or program committee chair, as they do not have any control over the electronic submission process (other than to set guidelines).

Please do not ask the contact person to help you with system-specific problems, such as those with LaTeX, PostScript(tm), or your mailer. Such questions are best addressed to your system administrator or support staff.

Caveats

This is a working document describing the electronic submission procedure for FOCS 2002. The procedures and policies described herein may change slightly as we encounter problems or develop new solutions. (Yes, the software has been used for a number of prior conferences, but it's gone through a recent update, and it's maintained informally by unpaid, overworked, researchers.)

The software now maintains a list of all users which is then stored on a remote site in case of serious problems (believe it or not, we've had systems lose their mail capability and experience serious disk crashes). We recommend that you test/use the system at least one week in advance of the conference so that we can notify you of any problems/changes. There is no penalty for registering a submission that you do not send, nor for submitting and then withdrawing.

Contents

Summary of Steps

The basic steps in electronic mail submission are as follows. These steps are discussed further in the section entitled Submitting via email.
  1. Required. Generate a PostScript version of your paper formatted for US Letter paper (8.5 x 11 inches).
  2. Optional, but strongly recommended. Test the printability of your PostScript using the TESTPRINT feature.
  3. Optional, but recommended. Test the registration procedure by sending a TEST REGISTER message to the server. The server returns a name to use for testing your file.
  4. Optional. After obtaining a test registration key send a SUBMIT message with your test file (your paper in PostScript format). The server returns information about the success of the test file.
  5. Mandatory. Send a REGISTER message to the server. The server returns a name to use for your submission.
  6. Mandatory. Send a SUBMIT message with your PostScript submission attached. The server returns information about the success of the submission.
  7. Optional. Send a REVISE message with a revised version of your submission. (This must be done before the submission deadline.) The server returns information about the success of the revision.
Details about the commands can be found below, in the section entitled Submitting via Email.

Recent Changes and Notes

Many of you have used a variant of this server for past conferences (FOCS, STOC, SODA, etc.). However, we've recently made some changes that you might want to note.

Introduction

SIGACT has appointed an Electronic Publishing Board to investigate and develop guidelines and mechanisms for electronic submission and dissemination of STOC and FOCS proceedings and other SIGACT and theoretical publications.

The electronic submission process is an experiment and, as such, is not expected to work perfectly (yes, even after two years). While the current policies, as detailed in the following paragraphs, are relatively finalized, we expect to make some further changes. If you have comments on the policies, feel free to send electronic mail to epubs@sigact.acm.org (the SIGACT Electronic Publishing board). Questions about electronic submissions should be directed to chazelle@cs.princeton.edu.

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Basic Policies

For this year, we will accept papers in PostScript(tm) format via electronic mail. We will not accept submissions via ftp. All electronic submissions must be in printable PostScript(tm) form and arrive by April 25, 2002, 16:59 EST. This is the same as the hardcopy deadline.

Unprintable PostScript(tm) and late submissions will be rejected. PostScript submissions formatted for paper size other than 8.5 x 11 inch paper (US Letter), or with pages in nonascending order, also risk rejection without consideration of their merits. The committee accepts no responsibility for errors due to problems with the system, although we will do our best to make sure that no such problems occur. We request that you submit your paper as early as possible.

You may revise or withdraw your paper after submitting it. However, revisions must be received by the deadline. Withdrawals before the deadline can be done using the electronic submissions system. Withdrawals after the deadline will need to be arranged through the program committee.

Because of copyright restrictions, we request that authors only use standard LaserWriter fonts (e.g., Times, Helvetica, Symbol) or public domain fonts (e.g., the Computer Modern Fonts) in their preliminary submissions. For final submissions, it should be possible to use copyrighted fonts.

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Testing the System

Because we assume no responsibility for technical problems or problems with PostScript(tm), we strongly encourage prospective users of the system to test both the submission procedures and the printability of their PostScript(tm). We suggest testing the submission procedures by a week before April 25, 2002 (that is, test the system before April 18).

For those unsure of the printability of their PostScript(tm), we do provide a test-printing service described below. The service may be terminated at April 24 (that is, twenty-four hours prior to the submission deadline).

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Submitting via Electronic Mail

To submit via electronic mail, send electronic mail to focs2002@sigact.csci.unt.edu with one of the following subjects. The submission server will send you a reply indicating the disposition of your request.

Note that, due to recent changes to the server, the server will return slightly different messages for some of these commands.

HELP

Request help on the electronic submission process. You will receive this document (or a variant) in response.

REGISTER

Inform the server that you plan to submit a paper electronically. This is only used for electronic submissions -- you do not need to register if you are submitting printed copies of your papers.

The body of a REGISTER message should take the form 

authors: "and"-separated list of authors
title: title of document
contact: e-mail address
notes: eligible for best student paper
Note that the "notes" field is currently only used to indicate eligibility for the best student paper award. Other notes will most likely be ignored.

For examples, 

% mail focs2002@sigact.csci.unt.edu
Subject: REGISTER
authors: Theorist T. Theoretician
title: Random Sampling
contact: theorist@theory.edu
notes: eligible for best paper
^D
The server will return a name to use to refer to your submission (called the filename or key in the sections below). 
From: focs2002@sigact.csci.unt.edu Thu Sep  8 19:18:41 1994
To: theorist@theory.edu
Subject: REGISTER

You should use the file name "theorist.1234.ps" for submitting the
following paper:
  authors: Theorist T. Theoretician
  title: Random Sampling
  contact: theorist@theory.edu
  notes: eligible for best paper
  receipt:

TEST REGISTER

Like REGISTER, but the server returns a file name to use for testing (you can use this test file name with all the messages below). You may (but need not) specify the information on the paper (contact, title, etc.).

SUBMIT filename

Submit (or revise) a paper. The body of the message should be the PostScript(tm) file. The server will acknowledge the submission. The acknowledgement will include an MD5-generated receipt for the submission, as well as basic information on the file so that you can verify that it arrived "safely". The basic information includes sizes (in bytes), checksum, first and last ten lines of the file.

For example, 

% mail focs2002@sigact.csci.unt.edu
Subject: SUBMIT theorist.1234.ps
insert postscript file into main body of message
^D

From: focs2002@sigact.csci.unt.edu Thu Sep  8 19:18:41 1994
To: theorist@theory.edu
Subject: Submission of theorist.1234.ps received.

Your paper with key theorist.1234.ps was received on Sep  8 19:27.
  It is 404918 bytes long.  
  Its checksum is 23036.
  The receipt is: abcba4232hgada43232323
  
It does not seem to generate any PostScript(tm) errors.

The first ten lines of your file are:
...

The last ten lines of your file are:
...

REVISE filename

Revise a previously submitted paper. The body of the message should be the PostScript(tm) file. The server will confirm this revision with the contact person for the paper (as well as the sender of the SUBMIT message).

For example, 

% mail focs2002@sigact.csci.unt.edu
Subject: REVISE theorist.1234.ps
insert postscript file into main body of message
^D

From: focs2002@sigact.csci.unt.edu Thu Sep  8 19:18:41 1994
To: theorist@theory.edu
Subject: Revised version of theorist.1234.ps received.

A revised version of your FOCS 2002 submission with key
  theorist.1234.ps
was received on
  Thu Sep  8 19:43:33 EDT 1994

Please send electronic mail to Bernard Chazelle if you
did not submit a revised version.
The server will also acknowledge the revision, as above.

WITHDRAW filename

Withdraw a previously submitted paper. The server will confirm this withdrawal with the contact person for the paper.

For example, 

% mail focs2002@sigact.csci.unt.edu
Subject: WITHDRAW theorist.1234.ps
^D


From: focs2002@sigact.csci.unt.edu Thu Sep  8 19:18:41 1994
To: theorist@theory.edu
Subject: theorist.1234.ps withdrawn.

Your FOCS 2002 submission with key
  theorist.1234.ps
was withdrawn on
  Thu Sep  8 19:43:33 EDT 1994

Please send electronic mail to Bernard Chazelle if you
did not withdraw your paper.

TESTPRINT

Test printing of the PostScript(tm) file contained in the body of the message. The server will return a message regarding the success or failure of the printing process. The server does not test for full compliance with the submission guidelines, such as length, page size, etc. Hence, a submission may pass this test and still be rejected without consideration of its merits.

We have also found that some PostScript(tm) successfully passes through the testing process, but is not printable. For example, FrameMaker(tm) generates PostScript(tm) that is only printable on a particular size of paper (if generated for A4, it will not print on US Letter, and vice versa). All papers must be generated for US Letter paper.

Here is an example of the use of TESTPRINT 

% mail focs2002@sigact.csci.unt.edu
Subject: TESTPRINT
insert postscript file into main body of message
^D

From: focs2002@sigact.csci.unt.edu Thu Sep  8 19:18:41 1994
To: theorist@theory.edu
Subject: TESTPRINT

The file you sent failed with the following PostScript(tm) errors:
 ...

STATUS filename

Check on the status of an electronic submission. This status refers only to its existence and printability, not to it's status in the refereeing process.

For example, 

% mail focs2002@sigact.csci.unt.edu
Subject: STATUS theorist.1234.ps
^D

From: focs2002@sigact.csci.unt.edu Thu Sep  8 19:18:41 1994
To: theorist@theory.edu
Subject: STATUS theorist.1234.ps

Information on paper with
  key: theorist.1234.ps
  authors: Theorist T. Theoretician
  title: Random Sampling
  contact: theorist@theory.edu
  notes: eligible for best paper
  receipt: abcba4232hgada43232323
  
  It is 404918 bytes long.  
  Its checksum is 23036.
  
It does not seem to generate any PostScript(tm) errors.

The first ten lines of your file are:
...

The last ten lines of your file are:
...
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Security and Encryption

As with the hardcopy submission process, copies of electronically-submitted papers will only be read by members of the program committee and selected reviewers.

We do not plan to include a mechanism for encryption/decryption of submissions to FOCS 2002. The primary reason for this decision is that the SIGACT community is honorable. Additionally, it is unlikely that we can provide sufficiently general cross-platform software that will not hinder the refereeing process.

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Final Submissions

We expect that all authors (both those who initially submit printed copies and those who submit electronically) will be asked to submit both hardcopy and electronic copies of the final versions of their papers in the ACM standard format (which is currently being developed), which will accommodate both LaTeX and traditional word-processors using ACM-supplied style files.

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The SIGACT Electronic Publishing Board

Committee Membership

More Information

The board maintains a WWW page and can be contacted via e-mail at epubs@sigact.acm.org.

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PostScript is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated. FrameMaker is a registered trademark of Frame Technology Corporation.