SSRN is the Tortoise, Not the Hare

In April, I ranted about the molasses-like slowness with which SSRN approves new or revised essays. I was assured by an SSRN executive kind enough to reply that the system was going to be improved in the near future — 24 hours for revisions, at most a couple of days for new essays.

Five months have passed, long enough to see if any improvements have been made. My last two revisions each took eight days to be approved. A new essay I recently submitted is now on day five — and counting. And the new essay I posted before that took a week.

I guess conservatives are right after all about paternalistic bureaucracies being inefficient. Consider this an open thread — I would appreciate hearing from our readers about their experiences with SSRN over the past few months.

UPDATE: Less than 90 minutes after I wrote this post, SSRN approved my latest submission. (See above.) A coincidence? Perhaps — but it’s worth pointing out that one of my colleagues posted an essay 24 hours before I posted mine, and he is still waiting for it to be approved…