[dleeftink]

I appreciate this insight, makes you wonder, why even publish a paper if it only amounts to a vibe check? If it's just the code we need we can get that peer reviewed through other channels.

[thfuran]

Because publications is the number that academics have to make go up.

[hodgehog11]

This and the exposure. There are so many papers on arXiv now that people often look to conference or journal publication lists.

[dleeftink]

The number has clearly ceased its function, so what are we chasing?

[gavinray]

Clout, funding, and employment I'd imagine?