Reminiscences on Influential Papers

This issue's contributors cover the impact of paying attention to the low-level implementation details, a paradigm shift in the way we approach stream processing, and the value of combining theoretical analysis with experimental evaluation. Furthermore, one of our contributors, rather than picking one paper, highlights the importance of putting the time to practice reading, reviewing, and learning from papers, not only from one's own field of interest but also from other fields. VLDB, similar to some systems conferences, launched a Shadow Program Committee for this purpose following the VLDB 2026 (Vol 19) submission cycles1. We wish to continue this effort in the future VLDB cycles. Enjoy reading! While I will keep inviting members of the data management community, and neighboring communities, to contribute to this column, I also welcome unsolicited contributions. Please contact me if you are interested.