Blogging « Biofortified

New Host, Fresh Community

by Karl Haro von Mogel on 27 June 2011

Well, if you saw the fireworks last week and over the weekend, you’ll know that Biofortified has just moved to a new host. A faster host, and a greener host!

We started having site errors that coincided with our move to Dreamhost – but we couldn’t tell if it was entirely due to that, or the large assortment of plugins we have installed on the site to make everything from the Forum, Community pages, Syndication, and GENERA work. It seems that the problem was a combination of both issues. Each plugin takes up a certain amount of server RAM to run, and the hosting account only let us use so much. Unlimited disk space, yes. Unlimited Bandwidth, yes. But should our site use more than a certain piddly amount of active memory – comments are lost and authors have trouble saving their posts. We had to pay more for more memory, but it did not fix the problems. When our site went down (again) due to server errors early last week, within hours we were in agreement that it was time to get off of Dreamhost.

Community Contest #4: Feel the Love

by Frank N. Foode on 5 April 2011

Howdy doodie all you foodies, Frank N. Foode here with a brand new Community Contest for y’all!

Gosh, it has been too long since our last contest in November, the first annual FrankenFood Carving Contest – and I have a bit of a confession to make: I forgot to announce the winner! While several fantastic pumpkins were carved, one entrant thought outside the jack-0-lantern varietal box and went with a Spaghetti Squash. Still Cucurbita pepo, but hilariously carved and lit up! I think this is what I looked like when I read what Andy Kimbrell said way back when. Check out the head splitting, string-vomiting action!

So our third community contest, the carving contest goes to GregH, who is also an undergrad horticulture and finance major with quote a collection of plants listed on his profile page. Is that popping sorghum as well? Coolness. Greg wins an embroidered cotton canvas shopping bag (complete with custom pocket with a pen-holder), along with a Norman Borlaug commemorative coin! Maybe belated but just in time for farmer’s markets in the spring, no?

Back in October, I really jumped on this community contest concept, probably too many at once, and the winner of our second contest also got lost in the shuffle. They found out that they won by email, mind you, but all of you need to know as well. The theme for this contest, if you recall, was to nominate someone you disagree with. And for being a thoughtful and courteous commentator we have awarded the victory bag to the one and only Bernarda! This is what Anastasia had to say in her nomination:

[Bernarda] has contributed greatly to conversation by bringing new perspectives and presenting them in a non-argumentative way. I feel that a lot of times we all just talk past people we disagree with, which is frustrating and unfruitful. But with Bernarda, particularly on the Miracle Plants: Fallacy or New Frontier post, I think we’re not talking past each other any more but actually having some real discussion.

Isn’t that what we’re here for? I’ll keep to one contest per month from now on, but hey I’m just a plant – so please remind me at the end of the month if I forget! Give a round of congratulations to our winners, and on to contest number 4!

The 12 posts of Gristmas

by Karl Haro von Mogel on 27 December 2010

Hi everyone, I hope you are keeping warm and rested this holiday season. Internet is real spotty where I am in L.A., otherwise I would be putting up a bunch of posts about the Vatican, Wikileaks, and more. But I have a moment in my favorite coffee shop in Culver City to share a little song I put together. As you are probably aware, I’ve been chatting and debating with some folks over at Grist lately, and the conversations have been both revealing and instructive, while also being up close and personal. It was amazing to see as I pointed out that both Tom Philpott and Tom Laskawy were wrong on basic facts and also wrong on interpretations, that they have not once responded to my comments. Doug Gurian-Sherman laid down a bombshell that he doesn’t care if anyone thinks his stuff is peer-reviewed or not, and an anti-GE campaigner thanked me for being the first scientist to explain something to her (brownie points that didn’t last very long, apparently). And amidst a string of personal attacks, a surprise defender swooped in! There’s not enough time for me to find each comment, but the verses here are all based on real comments, you can search my Grist comment account to find them if you like.

And this holiday season, Grist itself sent me half a dozen requests for money as a registered user (besides banner ads when visiting the site), saying that a donation would be a gift that keeps on giving. Truly Grist has been such a gift, but not in the way that they intended. I thought about the important things I observed, and put them all to a familiar tune. Sing along with me as you read The 12 Posts of Gristmas!

On the first post of Gristmas the comments gave to me,

Doug doesn’t give a rat’s ass.

On the second post of Gristmas the comments gave to me,

Continue reading…

For civility, add names to opinions

by Anastasia on 5 December 2010

Anonymity allows folks to escape the flak for some of the ugly and prejudiced things they say – and which flout the standards for what our society considers decent and civil.

For whatever reasons, this column seems to be a lightning rod for that sort of demagoguery. But there is a relatively simple solution: Requiring people to use their real names when they comment. From now on, that will

Scientia Pro Publica

by Anastasia on 8 November 2010

Scientia Pro Publica is a rotating compilation of the best blog writing targeted to the public about science, medicine, the environment and technology intended to build and encourage a thriving virtual community of science communicators.

The authors of Biofortified are honored to be this month’s host. The entries span a wide range of scientific topics that defies summarization. You’ll just have to see for yourself. In no particular order, I present to you this month’s Scientia Pro Publica.