I disagree. I am a late-stage PhD candidate in CS, and I cannot stress the importance given to quality writing in academic circles. All of us know that clear, c

I disagree. I am a late-stage PhD candidate in CS, and I cannot stress the importance given to quality writing in academic circles. All of us know that clear, concise writing plays a large part in getting your paper accepted, and we're repeatedly told that if a reviewer did not understand something in a paper, the fault should be assumed to be with the writing. Strunk & White's "The Elements of Style" is a permanent fixture on most grad student desks. My point is: if you're reading a reputable CS paper published at a top conference, it is less likely to be hard to understand due to writing flaws than due to the complexity of subject matter. Journals are a different beast, but most good CS papers get published at conferences anyway.