Presented at Bioinformatics FOAM workshop, Melbourne, March 28 2014.

1. Learning from complete strangers
social networking for bioinformaticians
Neil Saunders
COMPUTATIONAL INFORMATICS
www.csiro.au

2. Social Networking: Slide 2 of 38
this is not the advocacy talk
these are the advocacy talks
http://www.slideshare.net/lindenb/draft-being-a-bioinformatician-20
http://www.slideshare.net/c.titus.brown/2013-beaconcongresssocialmedia-25245386

3. Social Networking: Slide 3 of 38
quotes to inspire
No matter who you are, most of the smartest people work
for someone else
- Bill Joy

4. Social Networking: Slide 4 of 38
quotes to inspire
It’s not information overload. It’s filter failure.
- Clay Shirky

5. Social Networking: Slide 5 of 38
four ages of online interaction
(at least since c. 2000)
the age of forums and portals
the age of blogs
the age of “facebook for scientists”
the age of Twitter

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in the beginning
there was nodalpoint.org (2000 - 2009)

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questions and answers

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what we learned from nodalpoint
if you build it, they will come [*]
[*] Unless you build it wrong. Then they don’t.

9. Social Networking: Slide 9 of 38
the age of blogs
I blog at http://nsaunders.wordpress.com

10. Social Networking: Slide 10 of 38
recent items from bioinformatics blogs

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most hits to blogs are via search
aggregators are largely useless, with exceptions
http://www.r-bloggers.com/

12. Social Networking: Slide 12 of 38
what we learned from blogs
experts are “out there” and they will find you
https://xkcd.com/386/

13. Social Networking: Slide 13 of 38
the age of “Facebook for Scientists”
social networks for scientists
N. Saunders (SMMS, UQ) Science networks November 26, 2008 8 / 29
http://www.slideshare.net/neilfws/what-can-science-networking-online-do-for-you-presentation

14. Social Networking: Slide 14 of 38
what we learned from “fb4sci”
they don’t work
beware of anything “for scientists”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnomes_(South_Park)

15. Social Networking: Slide 15 of 38
at about the same time came...FriendFeed
http://nsaunders.wordpress.com/2009/12/23/the-life-scientists-at-friendfeed-2009-summary/

16. Social Networking: Slide 16 of 38
what we learned from FriendFeed
data finds data then people find people
http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/07/02/data-finds-data-then-people-find-people/
http://cameronneylon.net/blog/why-the-web-of-data-needs-to-be-social/

17. Social Networking: Slide 17 of 38
the age of Twitter
https://twitter.com/shaylamaddox/status/27278131665

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what can you do with 140 characters?
Lots of things!

19. Social Networking: Slide 19 of 38
post links to interesting articles
possibly your own

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provide status updates
services, software

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advertise jobs
also meetings, events

22. Social Networking: Slide 22 of 38
advertise your other online content

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ask/answer questions

24. Social Networking: Slide 24 of 38
discuss topical issues

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provide light relief

26. Social Networking: Slide 26 of 38
what we learned from Twitter
it’s all about who you follow
transient and real-time is OK

27. Social Networking: Slide 27 of 38
and so back to forums...
forums have evolved and are still valuable
what I’ve learned from forums: you can’t improve the questions

28. Social Networking: Slide 28 of 38
is social networking a time sink?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/30884177@N08/4107290250

29. Social Networking: Slide 29 of 38
well...yes, it is
need to manage time as you see fit
http://www.ashersarlin.com/archives/2004/09/honestly_who_co.php

30. Social Networking: Slide 30 of 38
is online activity recognised or rewarded?
by your employer? probably not
by everyone else - absolutely!

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rewards & recognition 1/n

32. Social Networking: Slide 32 of 38
rewards & recognition 2/n

33. Social Networking: Slide 33 of 38
rewards & recognition 3/n

34. Social Networking: Slide 34 of 38
rewards & recognition 4/n

35. Social Networking: Slide 35 of 38
rewards & recognition 5/n

36. Social Networking: Slide 36 of 38
rewards & recognition 6/n
and many more besides publications

37. Social Networking: Slide 37 of 38
many socials we did not discuss
bibliography; bookmarking; presentations; video; audio; coding...