usenixsec-author-response
Use when reviews arrive from a USENIX Security Symposium cycle and the authors must respond — writing the rebuttal that survives online PC discussion, handling required ethics-content revisions flagged mid-review, and working with a shepherd after an "Accepted on Shepherd Approval" decision.
Profile →npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills --skill usenixsec-author-response --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
# USENIX Security Author Response USENIX Security gives authors two distinct speaking moments, and they obey different rules: the mid-review response to reviewers, and the post-decision exchange with a shepherd. This skill covers both. Mechanics shift per cycle — the '25 model was documented in detail on the reviewing-model page, the '26 model partially, and the '27 mechanics are 待核实 — so confirm the current instructions in HotCRP before drafting. ## Where the response sits in the pipeline In the '25 model (the last fully documented one): two reviews in round one; papers survive to round two if at least one reviewer sees a path to acceptance after online discussion; round two adds two more reviews; **then** authors respond; reviewers discuss again and decide. Two consequences follow: - By the time you respond, four reviewers have read the paper but the committee has not settled. The response's real audience is the discussion that follows it. - Papers cut at the early-reject notification never get a response window at all. There is no appeal lane inside the cycle; the recovery move is a revised resubmission (see `usenixsec-review-process` for the restriction rules). One more '25-doc
- Where the response sits in the pipeline
- Sorting the reviews before writing
- Drafting rules that fit this venue
- After the decision: shepherd mode
- Reverify each cycle
- Output format
What does the usenixsec-author-response skill do?
Use when reviews arrive from a USENIX Security Symposium cycle and the authors must respond — writing the rebuttal that survives online PC discussion, handling required ethics-content revisions flagged mid-review, and working with a shepherd after an "Accepted on Shepherd Approval" decision.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills --skill usenixsec-author-response --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills, a repository with 909 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.