From ghart at videotron.ca Fri Jun 3 13:26:08 2005 From: ghart at videotron.ca (Geoff Hart) Date: Fri, 03 Jun 2005 15:26:08 -0400 Subject: Fwd: RFP for web designer for NASW Message-ID: <55FA797B-D465-11D9-B2F1-000A95A98ABA@videotron.ca> Thought this might be of interest to someone: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- Geoff Hart ghart at videotron.ca (try geoffhart at mac.com if you don't get a reply) www.geoff-hart.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >Subject: [NASW-Announce] Request for Proposals: NASW Web designer >Sender: nasw-announce-bounces at nasw.org > >Request for Proposals > >The National Association of Science Writers is seeking proposals for a Web >designer to undertake a comprehensive redesign of its Web site at >. Project details, a description of deliverables, a >list of qualifications, and information about submission of proposals are >included below. Deadline for proposals is June 17. At this time, we are >accepting proposals from NASW members ONLY. > >Project details: > >NASW seeks to redesign its Web site to make it a better resource for >members and for others interested in science writing. The project will >involve both an aesthetic overhaul for the site, the development of a >framework and templates for database-driven and weblog-driven content, >implementation of a comprehensive search engine, and other, related >functions. (Note: Programming services are expected to be secured under >separate contract.) The completed site shall be clean, well-organized, and >easy to navigate. The site design shall be constructed so that technically >unsophisticated volunteers can update and maintain it. The site also shall >be designed in such a way that it can grow as the organization grows. > >Current site description: > >At present, NASW.org consists of a public Web site with a >password-protected members-only area. The service runs principally on a >Linux/Apache web server hosted by IRE/NICAR (ire.org) with limited Perl >scripting for administrative tasks such as user registration. Virtually >all content pages are hand-coded HTML. Also in use are Mailman list >management software and list archives in Lotus Domino 6.0 mail-in >databases. (Note: The Domino installation is scheduled to be phased out >and this request does not envision further development on that server.) > >Deliverables: > >Assist the Internet Committee with development of a site map, utilizing >results of a membership survey on Web needs and comments from the Board of >Directors and committee members. > >Construction of a clickable wireframe version of the site, based on the >final site map, which will be used to confirm site architecture, >navigation terminology, page names, filenames and hierarchy, etc., and as >a starting point for construction of the final site. > >Development of two to three design concepts for the main NASW homepage and >the members-only homepage and sketches of potential templates for >lower-tier pages, such as those for the Mentoring Program, Member >Services, etc. Design shall be Mac- and PC-compatible and work with all >popular browsers and must not use features proprietary to any individual >browser. To the extent possible, design shall be optimized for dial-up >Internet users and shall accommodate resolutions as low as 800x600 without >horizontal scrolling. Low-bandwidth mouseovers and other effects using >javascript, server-side includes and other appropriate technology may be >included in the redesign, subject to board review. > >Development of templates that the Cybrarian and volunteers can use to >update existing pages and create new ones. These templates shall place a >premium on ease of use and modification of content. The page source code >shall be annotated to make these modifications easy for a person with >minimal Web skills. Formatting for the redesigned site shall be based, to >the extent possible, on free-standing style sheets or similar technology, >rather than hard-coded HTML. Templates shall be adaptable for use in pages >with content served by PHP/MySQL, MoveableType and Perl scripting. > >Upon approval of a design concept by the NASW board, development of the >design, including the revision of existing Web pages that will require new >headers and navigational tools. > >Review site content provided by the Internet Committee and provide >suggestions and feedback. > >Provide training for Cybrarian, back-up Cybrarian, and four to six others >who are responsible for maintaining pages within the NASW site. Training >may occur remotely or onsite. > >Development of support documentation for the site design, including a >how-to guide for maintaining and adding to the site, a style guide for all >new pages, and a description of the software and other technical tools >needed to manage the site. > >All work should be assumed to include first draft and two to three >revisions based on client feedback to produce final site. > >Timetable: > >Initial drafts of prototypes are due September 1, and presentation of >polished prototypes to the NASW Board will occur at its annual meeting >October 20 in Pittsburgh. The Web designer will receive guidance from the >Internet Committee co-chairs, the NASW Cybrarian, and site programmer >throughout the process. This team, working with the designer, will develop >a timetable for specific elements of the project at the beginning of the >process. Designer will respond to the committee's suggestions and revise >prototypes, if necessary, for presentation to the NASW board meeting. > >Qualifications: > >Demonstrated experience in Web site design and implementation. Must work >well as part of a diverse design team whose members live across the >country (there will be few, if any, face-to-face meetings in this project) >and be comfortable working in a deadline-driven environment. Must be able >to work with programming contractor on database architecture, page >templates and related scripting. > >Your written proposal should include: > >An outline of the services you will provide and an itemized fee structure >for each of those services, along with a recommended timetable for the >project. Please also provide an hourly rate for consulting and related >work above and beyond that stipulated at the project outset. Your proposal >also should include a resume and links to at least three Web sites for >which you have done relevant work. Please include with each URL an >explanation of your role and the names and contact information for the >client(s) for whom you did the work. > >Your proposal should be submitted via e-mail (Word attachments are >preferred) to the NASW Internet Committee co-chairs, Kelli Whitlock and >Mariette DiChristina, and NASW Cybrarian Russell Clemings at >. Please use that e-mail address to ensure that your >proposal reaches all three people. The deadline is June 17. After we have >gathered bids, we may contact candidates to arrange interviews. From dmaples at gray-research.com Wed Jun 8 09:17:01 2005 From: dmaples at gray-research.com (Dauphne Maples) Date: Wed, 8 Jun 2005 09:17:01 -0600 Subject: verb tense question for reporting results Message-ID: I am new to editing large, scientific reports with multiple authors. Some authors report results in past tense, while others use present tense. The subject matter concerns spacecraft. Authors may write, "The vehicle flew at such and such speed" even though the spacecraft has not been developed or flown in reality. The scientists are reporting analysis results (should the proposed space vehicles be developed and flown in the future). We are talking about several space vehicles and many launches and rendevous between vehicles. Even though the analysis work was done in the past (results are usually written up in past tense), the vehicles did not actually fly. So using past tense sounds odd. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance! From ghart at videotron.ca Thu Jun 9 06:35:55 2005 From: ghart at videotron.ca (Geoff Hart) Date: Thu, 09 Jun 2005 08:35:55 -0400 Subject: verb tense question for reporting results In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <0621C755-D8E3-11D9-9BB1-000A95A98ABA@videotron.ca> Dauphne Maples wondered: <> That's the standard convention, and barring any extenuating circumstances, it's the correct tense to use. One of the key things about science is that results are continuously being refined: what we found a year ago may no longer be 100% correct, so we state that we found (past tense) that result, and know it was correct then, to the best of our knowledge. Now, however... <<... while others use present tense.>> That's almost never correct. Present tense is designed for things that are happening now (the present at the time of writing), and that are likely to be still happening when the reader reads something (the reader's present tense). Future is for things that have not yet happened. For example: "We found the following results in 2004.... We're now (2005) working on solving the problems with those results... In 2006, we will report our solution." <> That's an easier problem than you probably thought: "Our analysis showed [past tense because that's when the calculations occurred] that the vehicle will be [future because it hasn't happened yet; "should be" also works, but expresses less certainty] capable of attaining speeds of Mach 10 when the prototype launches." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- Geoff Hart ghart at videotron.ca (try geoffhart at mac.com if you don't get a reply) www.geoff-hart.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From gdwilson at lanl.gov Thu Jun 9 10:15:20 2005 From: gdwilson at lanl.gov (Greg Wilson) Date: Thu, 09 Jun 2005 10:15:20 -0600 Subject: stcscsig-l digest: June 08, 2005 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <6.1.1.1.2.20050609095656.01b74768@harold-mail.lanl.gov> Dauphne, Language conventions for virtual science and virtual experimentation aren't very solid. It would be good for you to raise the issue with the multiple authors, explaining the issue and trying to see if there is a distinction they are making with their usage that you haven't picked up on--maybe not, maybe they are just using language differently because there is no convention. It might be useful, after exploring the issue, to establish a "house style" guidance on the point and propagate it to authors you work with in the future in the name of establishing a consistent voice for the papers. It has been my observation that researchers doing virtual science use verb tenses sanely based on the temporal existence of what they are discussing. That is, if they are discussing a virtual experiment that was planned and executed and that produced data (much like one would conduct a physical experiment) as a one-off activity, that is referred to in the past tense. If they are discussing a simulation that is more of an ongoing activity they use the present tense. That is, you could walk into their office and they could with a few mouse clicks bring up a simulation and say, "See, when we change this parameter that happens." The distinction is between a big experimental event and an ongoing activity. Physicists at Los Alamos talk about their big simulation code runs in the past tense, much like they do physical experiments, because they take months to plan and program and many days to run on the super computers. Statisticians tend to talk about data "living" in a particular place (i.e., on a server or at another institution) because it is something they have an ongoing relationship with. Greg At 12:00 AM 6/9/2005, you wrote: >STCSCSIG-L Digest for Wednesday, June 08, 2005. > >1. verb tense question for reporting results > >---------------------------------------------------------------------- > >Subject: verb tense question for reporting results >From: "Dauphne Maples" >Date: Wed, 8 Jun 2005 09:17:01 -0600 >X-Message-Number: 1 > >I am new to editing large, scientific reports with multiple authors. Some >authors report results in past tense, while others use present tense. The >subject matter concerns spacecraft. Authors may write, "The vehicle flew >at such and such speed" even though the spacecraft has not been developed >or flown in reality. The scientists are reporting analysis results (should >the proposed space vehicles be developed and flown in the future). > >We are talking about several space vehicles and many launches and >rendevous between vehicles. Even though the analysis work was done in the >past (results are usually written up in past tense), the vehicles did not >actually fly. So using past tense sounds odd. > >Any suggestions? Thanks in advance! > > > >--- > >END OF DIGEST > >--- >You are currently subscribed to stcscsig-l as: gdwilson at lanl.gov >To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-stcscsig-l-74013E at lists.stc.org ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Explaining everything is difficult. That's why Carl Sagan was always walking around in Spanish villages in period costumes or making solar systems out of fruit. He was trying to give us the lowdown on electrons and nuclear physics and black holes, and if you can't demonstrate such things using complicated, head-spinning formulas, then you have to hang some oranges and apples from the ceiling and smash stuff with baseball bats. -- Heather Havrilesky; Salon.com; Oct. 30, 2003; Introduction to String Cheese Theory ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ * Greg Wilson, Ph.D. * Rhetorician * Systems Ethnography & Qualitative Modeling Team * gdwilson at lanl.gov * 505-667-9440 * Fax 505-667-4470 * D-1, Statistical Sciences Group * Decision Applications Division * P.O. Box 1663, MS F600 * Los Alamos National Laboratory * Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA * My Profile in the Community of Science Database http://myprofile.cos.com/gdwilson ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mailman.stc.org/pipermail/stcscsig-l/attachments/20050609/a788631a/attachment.html