[maubp]

I just read the draft(s), I am referring to the longer version. Two points:

1.) "...incorporating all of the myriad platforms currently in use..." this sounds way to exaggerated. You can count the sequencing platforms available on the fingers of your two hands, that's not exactly a myriad. Even if you take a look at the different flavours of sequencing (se, pe, RNA-Seq, 5' biased variants...) they are not that many really. I would remove that paragraph entirely.

2.) The current wording downplays the level of discussion on SEQanswers. The overall level of discussion is higher, and much more specific than many posts that I have read on BioStar. In particular I find this strange: "It is a source of information to beginners of all types and backgrounds, from high school interns to MBA's". This is simply not correct, one needs to have a fairly good background to even *understand* what most question on SEQanswers are about, let alone know the solution.

Instead, I would emphasize that SEQanswers addresses grad students, post-docs and senior researchers who ask and answer about problems of technical relevance, with the aim of finding solutions to progress their research. Also it should be stressed that many of the posters who answer, are the actual authors of the tools they answer about - this is important!

I thought we were focusing on the shorter one and the end now, "Trimmed letter: Draft #1", but those are good points regarding the longer version and I agree with them.

[Azazel]

I just read the draft(s), I am referring to the longer version. Two points:

1.) "...incorporating all of the myriad platforms currently in use..." this sounds way to exaggerated. You can count the sequencing platforms available on the fingers of your two hands, that's not exactly a myriad. Even if you take a look at the different flavours of sequencing (se, pe, RNA-Seq, 5' biased variants...) they are not that many really. I would remove that paragraph entirely.

2.) The current wording downplays the level of discussion on SEQanswers. The overall level of discussion is higher, and much more specific than many posts that I have read on BioStar. In particular I find this strange: "It is a source of information to beginners of all types and backgrounds, from high school interns to MBA's". This is simply not correct, one needs to have a fairly good background to even *understand* what most question on SEQanswers are about, let alone know the solution.

Instead, I would emphasize that SEQanswers addresses grad students, post-docs and senior researchers who ask and answer about problems of technical relevance, with the aim of finding solutions to progress their research. Also it should be stressed that many of the posters who answer, are the actual authors of the tools they answer about - this is important!

P.S.: I wouldn't want to be on the list of authors I think, because if this *really* gets published in Science I would feal cheap for getting a co-authorship on a Science publication so easily, so I am just commenting here my ideas for improvement and if you like it, please feel free to apply to the text.

[ulz_peter]

just in case someone is wondering: I am the "Anonymous" who did the changes, but when I am logging in, Google changes the language to Thai...

[ulz_peter]

Sorry but what do you mean with "buzz" words?

[marcowanger]

Why not try the letter to Science and if that doesn't work we can extent the article to full length with more details. If we split up the parts, we might be able to get this done within 1-2 weeks. Just a thought.

Cool, good to have great guys like you. And Peter as well.

Here you go

https://docs.google.com/document/d/12lpMJxg-7HlYNXjjNrHMNu8-JwREXkkoNrfI0W3OpJc/edit?hl=en_US

Edit it.

Just a few reminders to all (including myself of course)

1> Be concise
2> Remember to take the publication of BioStar paper into account (appreciation)
3> Differentiation. We are not only Q&A site.
4> No buzz words

[robs]

Why not try the letter to Science and if that doesn't work we can extent the article to full length with more details. If we split up the parts, we might be able to get this done within 1-2 weeks. Just a thought.

[marcowanger]

Any timeline for submitting the letter? Sorry I've not been involved, I've been swamped with other work.

Has anyone volunteered to handle submission?

Cheers,

i think probably I can.

[dan]

Any timeline for submitting the letter? Sorry I've not been involved, I've been swamped with other work.

Has anyone volunteered to handle submission?

Cheers,

[marcowanger]

Hi Marco,

Now that I read those articles I wonder if SeqAnswers wouldn't deserve a full publication just as the BioStar paper...
OK there's the time problem with regard to the publication to the Wiki, but that's already gonna be kind of close.

i think SEQanswers still deserve, this is quite different from research paper...

[maubp]

Dear all,

Please note the papers that appear in Oct issue of PLoS Comp Bio

1> BioStar http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4125508/Comm...ce/BioStar.pdf
2> "10 simple rules to get help from online community - by Wikigenes writing group"
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4125508/Comm...es.writing.pdf

Full titles for anyone searching (note Ten not 10);

Parnell et al. (2011) "BioStar: An Online Question & Answer Resource for the Bioinformatics Community"
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002216

Dall'Olio et al. (2011) "Ten Simple Rules for Getting Help from Online Scientific Communities"
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002202

[ulz_peter]

Hi Marco,

Now that I read those articles I wonder if SeqAnswers wouldn't deserve a full publication just as the BioStar paper...
OK there's the time problem with regard to the publication to the Wiki, but that's already gonna be kind of close.

[marcowanger]

Dear all,

Please note the papers that appear in Oct issue of PLoS Comp Bio

1> BioStar http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4125508/Comm...ce/BioStar.pdf
2> "10 simple rules to get help from online community - by Wikigenes writing group"

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4125508/Community.Science/Wikigenes.writing.pdf

[robs]

How about:
An increasing number of companies use SEQanswers to announce new software releases and upcoming changes to their commercial software tools.

If there is enough space left, maybe we can add something about conferences as well. (Something along the lines of: conferences are discussed before and after the event, helping other people to choose the most suitable conferences for their research.)

[marcowanger]

probably one more thing to write in the letter

Company announce up-coming software changes (matter to ALL bioinformaticians) in SEQanswers

Link: http://seqanswers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8895

[marcowanger]

Just my opinion, I think at this stage the letter may seems too subjective and sounds like an advertisement to others. Although the idea should stay the same, we may need to convey the idea in a more objective way.

But anyway, let's wait for Eric's reply first. Thanks Peter for pushing this.