Comment Re:A history trove (Score 3, Informative) 25
In the past, I've found ACM articles useful primarily in three ways: 1. An independent source of research to help confirm or refute claims of the benefits of "hot" technology (Generative AI, for instance), 2. An roundup and explanation of some of the research/theory behind techniques employed in software from both a user and developer perspective, 3. An early look a promising technology currently in the R&D stages. I'd imagine academic types find ACM publications (reading and publishing) much more valuable than the rest of us as far as advancing their careers goes.
That being said, with the shift in breakthrough technologies from more independent and open university and college research CS labs to tech giants and startups, as well as the Open Access fees the ACM plans to charge universities/colleges and paper authors to help maintain their revenue stream ($66 million in 2022), one wonders what kind of content ACM publications will offer in the future.