Academics may be unfairly labelled as being otherworldly, but sometimes they seem to be just that. Staff on one research journal were pleased recently when a set of proofs came back to them on the day they had specified, beautifully marked up and even rewritten in one or two places to clarify meaning. They were mortified, however, to read the accompanying note: "I have corrected these proofs as you asked, but I am at a loss to know why you sent them to me as this is not my paper."