The week starts on the 1 st December with the Manuscript Central European User Conference 2008. This is very well attended and has been quite popular in the past. It is held in London and I am looking forward to seeing what they have in store this year and of course the reception after.
2-4 December is of course Online Information 2008 at the Olympia Grand Hall in London. This is where everybody meets, this is the place to be if you are a techie or a publisher or from the media, you name it and it will be there. Ok not everything but most things, there are 6 sections it covers, they are: Online content resources, e-publishing, library management systems, content management expo, web 2.0 technologies, search solutions.This is a good place to see what others are doing and a great place to talk to others to see what you are not doing. Even if you do not register for the conferences then just go for the exhibits it will be worth it.
There is also more fun and frivolity on the Tuesday night as Thomson Reuters are holding a reception at the Victoria and Albert museum, a good place to take part in a little conversation over a light refreshment (ha).
Friday 5 th brings us the Fifth Annual European Editorial Manager User Group. This too is well attended and a great opportunity for European users to learn more about Editorial Manager and Preprint Manager and to network with industry peers.
After all this fun and frivolity I will need a week off in the office, keep an eye out next week as the blog will be regularly posted to keep you posted. Enjoy.
Saturday, 29 November 2008
Friday, 21 November 2008
Back in the day
Many years ago as I am sure many of you know or remember we used to use typewriters instead of computers – metal in trays instead of email in-boxes – pigeon holes instead of email and www.
How on earth did we cope with all this paper and snail mail? In the 90’s we had a postman that would put stamps on envelopes and go round the office delivering and collecting post. The photo copier would be constantly going and the fax machine would be constantly churning out paper proofs from the printers. There would be a bottle of whisky in the filing cabinet and a bottle of gin in the draw.
Proofs used to be hung up on the walls ready for press, filing cabinets were very full of paper, kept for whatever reason or other. A courier person turned up twice a day to deliver copy to and from the typesetters 100 miles away.
So what happened?
Computers, email and the internet happened. In the early 90’s a lorry turned up with a bunch of screens and keyboards and computers and were plonked on our desks. We found the email and internet on it, I remember my old boss saying ‘I can’t see this taking off in the future’ (he retired that year).
With this new phenomenon our world was just starting and how interesting things have changed over time, or have they? We still have a journal, we still have proofs, we still communicate with each other, we still have a typesetter, a printer. We no longer have the whisky or gin as there are not many filing cabinets left but we do have organic scented nettle and lentil tea and 4 kettles.
At the turn of the millennium we introduced an online electronic manuscript tracking system, this improved turnaround times and money was saved. Many members of staff we employ now do not know any different as they have only ever used this electronic software and do not know that a paper world existed before when pigeons delivered the post.
Publish ahead of print came into the equation only a few years ago and now publish oblivious of print was launched this year. How long will it be until the print editions of medical journals cease to exist? Much has been outsourced in the past few years, I’m sure we do not know where half of our work is done.
Efficiencies now compared to the 80s and 90s are much better? The quality of journals and their workflows are much better? Relationships with vendors are closer? Relationships between journals have improved and publishers are much better?
Well, I don’t know, you tell me.
How on earth did we cope with all this paper and snail mail? In the 90’s we had a postman that would put stamps on envelopes and go round the office delivering and collecting post. The photo copier would be constantly going and the fax machine would be constantly churning out paper proofs from the printers. There would be a bottle of whisky in the filing cabinet and a bottle of gin in the draw.
Proofs used to be hung up on the walls ready for press, filing cabinets were very full of paper, kept for whatever reason or other. A courier person turned up twice a day to deliver copy to and from the typesetters 100 miles away.
So what happened?
Computers, email and the internet happened. In the early 90’s a lorry turned up with a bunch of screens and keyboards and computers and were plonked on our desks. We found the email and internet on it, I remember my old boss saying ‘I can’t see this taking off in the future’ (he retired that year).
With this new phenomenon our world was just starting and how interesting things have changed over time, or have they? We still have a journal, we still have proofs, we still communicate with each other, we still have a typesetter, a printer. We no longer have the whisky or gin as there are not many filing cabinets left but we do have organic scented nettle and lentil tea and 4 kettles.
At the turn of the millennium we introduced an online electronic manuscript tracking system, this improved turnaround times and money was saved. Many members of staff we employ now do not know any different as they have only ever used this electronic software and do not know that a paper world existed before when pigeons delivered the post.
Publish ahead of print came into the equation only a few years ago and now publish oblivious of print was launched this year. How long will it be until the print editions of medical journals cease to exist? Much has been outsourced in the past few years, I’m sure we do not know where half of our work is done.
Efficiencies now compared to the 80s and 90s are much better? The quality of journals and their workflows are much better? Relationships with vendors are closer? Relationships between journals have improved and publishers are much better?
Well, I don’t know, you tell me.
Monday, 17 November 2008
Welcome all!
Here we have a new blog for the ISMTE, Yipeeee! In the next few months you will see posts every week, maybe twice a week if you are really lucky. I would like as much feedback as possible so I shall put my email address at the bottom of this post. The feedback I am looking for is what you want to see up on the blog, as members or non-members. We have a few ideas but need more to keep it going so if you have ideas or postings you would like to post then please do not hesitate to contact me.
What is the ISMTE?
We are here to fill an under-served niche within the academic, scientific, medical, technical and professional publishing industry. We are here to enhance the professionalism of editorial office staff by providing networking and training infrastructure, establishing best practices and studying and reporting on editorial office practices, ISMTE intends to become an advocate on all issues relating to editorial office operations.
You will see posted here in the future:
What happens in an editorial office day to day, week to week?
What do other editorial offices do different from other editorial offices?
Feedback on meetings.
Innovation, manuscript tracking systems, production.
Anything related to publishing, journals and editorial offices.
I hope you enjoy the posts and if you wish to contribute then please let me know asap.
My email to contact me is garyebryan@hotmail.co.uk
What is the ISMTE?
We are here to fill an under-served niche within the academic, scientific, medical, technical and professional publishing industry. We are here to enhance the professionalism of editorial office staff by providing networking and training infrastructure, establishing best practices and studying and reporting on editorial office practices, ISMTE intends to become an advocate on all issues relating to editorial office operations.
You will see posted here in the future:
What happens in an editorial office day to day, week to week?
What do other editorial offices do different from other editorial offices?
Feedback on meetings.
Innovation, manuscript tracking systems, production.
Anything related to publishing, journals and editorial offices.
I hope you enjoy the posts and if you wish to contribute then please let me know asap.
My email to contact me is garyebryan@hotmail.co.uk
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