Just wanted to share that my first first-author paper is now online! In the journal Stem Cells and Development, here’s my paper on “Roles of Integrins in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Growth on Matrigel and Vitronectin.”
As requested, I’ve written up a little Guide to Posting for this forum, with tips and tricks for formatting, attractive layout, and what-not.
As the little sidebar says, I want this forum open for people to post anything that’s on their minds. Worst that could happen is no one comments on it. So please, always feel free to post anything that’s not actively illegal.
So, how does one go about posting? First off, you need an account (if you don’t already have one). To get one, e-mail the webmaster and almost invariably, he’ll send you back a username and password with a short turnaround time. You can change the password all you want (more on this later), but you’re not required to change it by any means.
Once you have an account, visit the main page. In the upper left corner, there is a login link. Click on it, and you’ll be taken to the “behind the scenes” portion of the website, run by software called Pivot.
Log on to the site with your username and password, and you should see a screen like this:
This is your Overview mode, which can be returned to at any time by clicking “Overview” in the left menu. It has the options that you’ll want the most prominently displayed: New Entry, My Settings, and Manage Media.
New Entry is where most of the tricks and tips will go, so we’ll hit that last (see below).
Under My Settings, you’ll find the ability to change your password and set up additional information about yourself which will (eventually) be accessible to others, such as e-mail address or AIM ScreenName. Important note: Your e-mail address, whenever displayed on the page, is actually created via a javascript, so most internet-sniffing spam software cannot automatically strip it off the page and spam you. Works well for me, and my e-mail is on the page like 50 times.
Manage Media allows you to see images that have been uploaded to the site, and (in theory) upload images yourself if you’ve requested permission from the admin. We’re working on it. For media that is uploaded, it can automatically generate little thumbnail images, which will factor into the tips for Entries.
So now we come to the meat and potatoes: New Entry, which should look something like this:
The Title field is pretty self-explanatory, but here’s a tip: Try to make it clear from the Title what the post is about. This website can be accessed via RSS (if you don’t know what that means, don’t sweat it), so clear and informative titles are helpful.
The Category label right underneath controls whether your post appear in the middle of the blog (default) or on the little left-hand column (linkdump).
As you can see, their are lots of little widgets and buttons above the entry areas for Introduction and Body. I don’t use them, myself, but in theory they should allow easy point-and-click ability to do things like insert links, make bold text, and all sorts of stuff like that. Try clicking on them and seeing what they do if your interests lie that way.
Tip: Try to make your Introduction two to three sentences or less, so that it doesn’t clog the main page. Ideally, try to give readers the basics of what you’re talking about, but don’t put too many details… This encourages them to click the (more) button and read your whole post, and again, keeps the main page uncluttered. If your post is simply to share a link or something, consider using the Category linkdump.
Big Tip: Use the Preview Entry button early and often– It lets you see how your post will look, and is your most powerful tool.
So, assuming you aren’t using the widget buttons, here’s HTML guides and tips:
Lastly, some style guidelines:
Yeah, it’s long. But I wrote it on request! I hope someone gets use out of it. 😉
Paradoxdruid - September 16th, 2004 at 12:40 amTried linking to a site in a comment, but the linking got killed.
Owen - September 17th, 2004 at 10:58 amComments use an entirely different process. Because any joe-shmoe can post comments (not just registered users) HTML is disabled in comments, to prevent malicious code from being inserted.
If you click the little “Textile” link right above the comment field, it shows you a quick reference on how to insert links and stuff into the comments.
Paradoxdruid - September 17th, 2004 at 11:16 amYou must be logged in to post a comment.
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Just wanted to share that my first first-author paper is now online! In the journal Stem Cells and Development, here’s my paper on “Roles of Integrins in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Growth on Matrigel and Vitronectin.”
Just read a fascinating (if lengthy) essay on disruptive technology and the future of scientific publishing. Well worth the read!
Just wanted to share Mint.com’s Visual Guide to Deflation, which is quite explanatory.
Hey all Paradoxdruid readers! I recently started up a blog on stem cells that I’d love you all to take a look at: http://www.allthingsstemcell.com/
I participated in another Barely literate book review podcast, this time on Nicholson Baker’s “The Fermata”. Give it a listen!
Obama has outlined a strategy for America, in great depth. Read all about Change.gov!
Okay, I’ll admit that it’s entirely possible that I am the last person to learn about this website*, but it’s really addictive.ÂÂ
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