Subject: On line preprint/reprint server.

From: Eric Bittner <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2000 09:34:36 -0500

I've been following the discussion regarding a Chemistry Online
preprint/reprint service.
This already exists in the physics community and has been extremely
successful and basically self reviewed.
The URL is http://xxx.lanl.gov/
Sure, there is a lot of bolognia and you have to filter some of this out.
But, it's a great way to
get the really latest and greatest results and opinions.  It's heavily
theoretical (eq. quant-ph ) but there is certainly a healthy portion of
experimental papers.  Moreover, some of the best physics discussions I've
seen have been posted on this server.
Moreover, Phys. Rev. will consider postings to the LANL server as
submissions if the author chooses to do inform PR of the posting.
In fact, I have found that in some cases I have gotten *better* reviews
(i.e. more critical) of preprints I've posted to LANL...often better and
more critical than journal reviewers. (plus it's either in the open forum or
by email.  In either case, you know who your critics are.)

Also, I've never seen "Archimedes Plutonium" or Mills (of Blacklight
Power.com) post any thing on the server. I'd love to see Mills post his
"hydrino" theory on the server.

My $0.02
ERB

-- 
Prof. Eric R. Bittner
Department of Chemistry
Univ. of Houston
http://eiger.chem.uh.edu/bittner/