Six Months in the Life of VECTOR
Vector 9:1, page 50
Transcribed from the printed issue; not yet reviewed. Read it in the PDF of the issue, page 50
Conception¶
Firstly, a bit of APL. Let us consider the creation of the issue Volume X number Y (X.Y), and refer to the next issue as (X.Y)+1. However, since VECTOR is a quarterly journal, the previous issue may be more exactly specified as:
An issue of VECTOR has a gestation period of about six months. The working group meeting discusses the next issue (X.Y+1) in some detail and a draft contents page is created. This gives the Editor enough time to identify the holes so that we can all help to fill the gaps. If all goes well, we can then get down to planning the issue after, X.Y+2.
Material for an issue of VECTOR comes from a variety of sources, and much of it now has its own momentum, meaning that the Editor does not have to write it. The Editor will decide if this to be a thematic issue, and request articles relevant to the theme well in advance. Other articles are either requested or arrive through the post with a wonderful irregularity.
One of the main aims of recent VECTORs has been a drive to have regular features appearing either in every issue or in every annual issue. VECTOR X.1 is now always produced in time for the annual APL conference, and is given away free to each delegate. Advertisers: this is a very good issue to aim for! The following issue X.2 always has a comprehensive report of the conference, with summaries of the main papers and lots of photographs. The January issue X.3 is generally a thematic issue with invited papers. The April issue X.4 can be relied upon for the abstracts of the forthcoming conference, and may contain an article that wanders from the truth in the best of April 1st traditions.
The Meeting¶
VECTOR requires a quarterly Working Group gathering; a meeting of minds and travelling bodies prepared to risk the motorways and railways of Britain in order to bring you the latest in the world of APL. It is an amalgam of creative thinking, a free orange juice at BAPLA’s expense, another opportunity for a hotbed of crazy ideas for the next April 1st issue piece. Verily, a travelling show from Yorkshire to Berkshire, from York to London to East Garston (where’s that??) to St. Albans and back again.
The best thing about the meeting is getting a copy of the pending issue hot from the printer’s press. If you are very lucky, Adrian will let you take it home afterwards. Fingers quickly flick through this pristine copy for the vital signs - does my latest contribution appear? Does it have any (more than the usual number) of misprints.
The tangible output from the meeting will be a fleshed out Contents Page and Anthony’s minutes, with hopefully my name in bold Action font not too often repeated.
Afterbirth¶
Who are you? Who actually reads VECTOR? We know who we send it to, but who eventually reads it? As the BAPLA does not keep the names of APLers in corporate memberships, we do not really know the full story, although steps are being taken to change this. My reading of the BAPLA membership numbers suggests there is an increasing number of you, but feedback to the Editor is very low. Please write! A brief note of con-, in- or de-structive criticism would be very valuable to the working group.
Another question for you - how do you store your VECTORs? (Assuming you keep them!) In chronological order or in rainbow colour order?
The working group is very proud of your journal. It is all done for love, a lack of money, and a feeling of doing something professionally worthwhile. However, the group constantly needs fresh blood. Your interests could range from the technical, statistical, commercial or sociological, to the not to be forgotten right of just having a say in the industry that employs you.
And finally, the last and most important question: what colour should the cover of the next issue be?