Hi all, <br>Yes I agree, the bright lights of NPG are tempting, but dazzling at the same time. Any ideas where to go for a retreat? I know a <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=RI+02832&ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1&ll=41.466785,-71.726689&spn=0.022672,0.054245">
great place in Rhode Island,</a> but it is a little far from Boston (90 miles down the I95). We could host it at Brown, but it is not much of a retreat. Ideas nearer to Boston? Will the date be this Thursday the 13th? WE might need to provide teleconf. facilites.
<a href="http://openwetware.org/wiki/OpenWetWare_steering_committee/SC_retreat">I set up a page for the retreat,</a><br>cheers, <br>John<br><br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 7/7/06, <b class="gmail_sendername">natalie kuldell
</b> <<a href="mailto:nkuldell@mit.edu" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">nkuldell@mit.edu</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
Sri and SC-<br>I'd like to second Drew's sentiment and congratulate you all on the<br>soon-to-be-submitted NSF proposal. Jason, Sri, and Reshma in<br>particular put in a heroic effort to shepherd the grant submission<br>
and I hope the outcome is favorable.
<br><br>The NPG offer deserves some thoughtful consideration, beginning at<br>the next SC meeting. I would like to see the details of the offer<br>considered in the context of a larger discussion describing OWW's<br>future (both the vision and its execution). This larger topic has
<br>been raised repeatedly and there seems to be no consensus. I wonder<br>if it would be worth each SC member individually investing some<br>"pre-meeting" time reflecting on what he/she would like OWW to look<br>
like/run like 1 year and 5 years from now and come to the next SC<br>meeting ready to articulate priorities.<br><br>If the agenda for the next SC meeting is too full to accommodate such<br>a discussion then I would favor the 1/2 day splurge that Drew
<br>described.<br>Thanks,<br>Natalie<br><br><br><br>>Hello all,<br>><br>>First, thank you to everyone that helped with drafting the grant and<br>>writing letters of support. The proposal is essentially in final
<br>>form and it took much effort by many of us. Having the document<br>>will have benefits beyond this grant, and will help with any new<br>>venture or collaboration in the future. The grant will be submitted
<br>
>by the OSP (Office of Sponsered Projects) on Monday, and at that<br>>point I will send out a copy of the grant to everyone.<br>><br>>Second, we were approached recently by Peter Collins and Greg<br>>Urquhart of Nature Publishing Group about strengthening ties between
<br>>our two groups. For the past few years NPG has been exploring how<br>>best to engage communities of scientists more directly, as well as<br>>provide new communication tools for them (or so they say). They are
<br>>interested in forming relationships at many levels depending on our<br>>interest: from just general support and help with funding all the<br>>way to complete managerial take over of the site.<br>><br>>Obviously such an offer, while flattering makes us ask questions
<br>>about the intentions of such a venture and the trustability of<br>>relinquishing control to or even establishing close ties with an old<br>>and venerated for-profit publishing group. After giving it some<br>
>thought, a few of us thought we would put together a reasonable set<br>>of offer and then run it by the committee for<br>>thoughts/reactions/suggestions/or better proposals that would seem<br>>to work. So here goes:
<br>><br>>In general, we are asking for collaboration at first, and would<br>>consider tighter relationships with NPG in the future depending on<br>>the success of these initial projects.<br>><br>>1. What we are asking for: NPG and OpenWetWare would form a
<br>>relationship which could include any or all of the following things:<br>>A. Direct support for hardware and/or support for that hardware.<br>>B. Direct support of a software developers tasked by the steering committee.
<br>>Both of these could either take a form of a direct monetary<br>>donations, or contractual committments to provide these services<br>>through NPG's existing infrastructures.<br>>C. A major project chosen by the steering committee is planned and
<br>>execute independently by NPG in house. For example, NPG could<br>>become responsible for development of a personal OWW distribution.<br>>This would involve simple installers for Unix, Mac, PC, installation
<br>
>instructions, and simple ways to publish to OWW. The specifications<br>>for such software would be made by the Steering Committee, and NPG<br>>would produce the software, and committ to continued development for
<br>>some time period.<br>>D. Advertising for OpenWetWare. This is minimal and obvious to some extent.<br>>E. Tools that make sense for NPG. For example, a link on all of<br>>their papers saying "discuss and comment on OpenWetWare". They
<br>>would be taking advantage of our existing community and we would get<br>>traffic and growth. (and perhaps tools to support this with other<br>>publishing groups).<br>><br>>2. What they would recieve: We can also imagine a couple of things
<br>>that could be pallatable depending on the level of committment and<br>>support.<br>>A. On every page will be a link to Sponsors. Upon clicking that<br>>link, there will be a page describing sponsoring groups and details
<br>>on how they are helping OpenWetWare. For example, such a page would<br>>already include MIT CSBi for server space, and Microsoft iCampus<br>>project for seed funding through the end of the year. That page
<br>
>could also describe the current status of any relationship with NPG<br>>along with a logo.<br>><br>>B. A small NPG image on the bottom of OWW pages (i.e, the CC logo).<br>>We need help with all aspects as we are a volunteer effort. We can
<br>>begin by some modest levels of support for some basic hardware/et<br>>cetera as well as people that will help support openwetware. those<br>>members would work with OWW on projects of mutual interest. (i.e
.,
<br>>the distribution, tighter integration with the literature, et<br>>cetera). If the relationship is fruitful for the both of us, we<br>>will continue to make stronger committments to each other.<br>><br>>So we are asking for your thoughts and comments specifically on
<br>>these proposals, and also on what proposals you think could work<br>>better. Finally, I also should say that of course these discussions<br>>are somewhat private, and that they not be disclosed directly on
<br>
>OpenWetWare. So please email me, or the steering committee list if<br>>appropriate.<br>><br>>Thanks,<br>>Sri<br>><br>>_______________________________________________<br>>OpenWetWare Steering Committee Mailing List
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br> John Cumbers, Graduate Student in Computational Biology<br>Brown University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Box G-W<br>80 Waterman Street, Providence, Rhode Island, 02912, USA
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