Is it just me or is the Conference Lottery culture killing research? [D]
With supervisors treating top conferences like hackathons, researchers submit anything two weeks before deadline.
Deep Dive
A stressed graduate student rants that their supervisor treats major conferences like weekend hackathons, demanding submissions two weeks before deadlines and not caring about rejection. The student says the goal is just the experience of trying, and laments that it's no wonder top-tier conferences receive tens of thousands of submissions. The rant ends with the student saying they hate their life.
Key Points
- Supervisors demand conference submissions two weeks before deadline, regardless of readiness.
- Rejections are framed as 'valuable experience' rather than a failure to meet standards.
- Top venues like NeurIPS now receive tens of thousands of submissions, overwhelming reviewers.
Why It Matters
This lottery culture accelerates researcher burnout, erodes peer review quality, and prioritizes hype over rigorous science.