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BioGrids Mailing Lists

Stay connected with the BioGrids community through our mailing lists. Get updates on new software, share experiences, and get help from other users.

User Mailing List

biogrids-users@lists.harvard.edu

The main community mailing list for BioGrids users.

Who should join: - All BioGrids users - Researchers using BioGrids software - Anyone interested in computational biology software

What you'll get: - Software updates and new package announcements - Tips and tricks from the community - Discussion of best practices - Help with troubleshooting from other users - Workshop and training announcements

How to join: 1. Send an email to: biogrids-users-request@lists.harvard.edu 2. Subject line: subscribe 3. Leave the message body blank 4. You'll receive a confirmation email with further instructions

Posting guidelines: - Keep discussions relevant to BioGrids and computational biology - Search archives before asking questions - Use descriptive subject lines - Include relevant system information when asking for help

Administrator Mailing List

biogrids-admins@lists.harvard.edu

Specialized list for system administrators managing BioGrids installations.

Who should join: - System administrators managing BioGrids - IT staff supporting BioGrids users - Anyone responsible for BioGrids site installations

What you'll get: - Advanced configuration tips - Security updates and patches - Large-scale deployment strategies - Integration guides for institutional systems - Early access to beta features

How to join: 1. Send an email to: biogrids-admins-request@lists.harvard.edu 2. Subject line: subscribe 3. Include a brief description of your role and institution 4. Administrative approval may be required

Newsletter Archive

Monthly BioGrids Newsletter

BioGrids publishes a monthly newsletter with important updates and community news.

Newsletter includes: - New software packages and updates - Upcoming workshops and webinars - Research highlights using BioGrids - Tips from the community - Technical articles and tutorials

Access the archive: BioGrids Newsletter Archive

Subscribe to newsletter: Newsletter subscription is automatic when you join the user mailing list.

Mailing List Etiquette

General Guidelines

Before posting: - Search the archives for similar questions - Check the documentation and FAQ - Try basic troubleshooting steps

When posting: - Use clear, descriptive subject lines - Include relevant details (OS, BioGrids version, error messages) - Be respectful and professional - Thank people who help you

Subject line examples: - Good: "SAMtools 1.15 installation fails on Ubuntu 22.04" - Bad: "Help! Nothing works!"

Getting Better Responses

Include key information: - Operating system and version - BioGrids version (echo $BIOGRIDS_VERSION) - Exact error messages - Steps to reproduce the issue - What you were trying to accomplish

Example good post: 

Subject: BLAST fails to start on CentOS 8 after update

Hi everyone,

After updating to BioGrids 2025.03.21, BLAST fails to start with the 
following error:

bash: blastn: command not found

System details:
- CentOS 8.4
- BioGrids version: 2025.03.21
- Previously working version: 2025.02.15

Steps to reproduce:
1. source /programs/biogrids.shrc
2. blastn -help

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Community Resources

Search previous discussions: - User list archives: Search biogrids-users - Admin list archives: Search biogrids-admins

Other helpful communities for computational biology: - Biostars: General bioinformatics Q&A - SEQanswers: Sequencing and analysis discussions
- Galaxy Community: Galaxy workflow discussions - Bioconda: Package management discussions

Alternative Communication Channels

Official Support

For official support and bug reports: - Email: help@biogrids.org - Bug reports: BioGrids bug tracker - Feature requests: Software request form

Real-time Help

For immediate assistance: - Documentation: BioGrids wiki - FAQ: Frequently asked questions - Help Center: Comprehensive support resources

Training and Workshops

Learn with others: - Community Resources: Join our mailing list for tips and updates - Documentation: Help Center for guides and tutorials - Webinars: Online presentations and demos

Managing Your Subscription

Temporarily Stop Mail

If you need a break from list email: 1. Send email to: biogrids-users-request@lists.harvard.edu 2. Subject: set digest 3. This switches you to daily digest mode

Unsubscribe

To leave the mailing list: 1. Send email to: biogrids-users-request@lists.harvard.edu 2. Subject: unsubscribe 3. Send from the same email address you used to subscribe

Change Email Address

To update your subscription email: 1. Unsubscribe from your old address 2. Subscribe from your new address 3. Or contact the list administrator for help

List Statistics and Activity

User Mailing List

  • Subscribers: ~2,500 active members
  • Messages per month: 100-150
  • Average response time: 2-6 hours for common questions
  • Languages: Primarily English, some multilingual discussions

Administrator List

  • Subscribers: ~200 system administrators
  • Messages per month: 20-40
  • Focus: Technical discussions and best practices
  • Access: Moderated list with approval required

Contributing to the Community

Help New Users

  • Answer questions in your areas of expertise
  • Share useful tips and workflows
  • Point people to relevant documentation

Share Your Experience

  • Write about successful deployments
  • Share interesting use cases
  • Contribute tutorials or examples

Improve Documentation

  • Report unclear or outdated documentation
  • Suggest improvements to guides
  • Contribute example configurations

Privacy and Moderation

Privacy Policy

  • Email addresses are not shared publicly
  • Archives may be searchable by list members
  • No commercial use of member information

Moderation Guidelines

  • Posts are generally not moderated
  • Spam and off-topic posts are removed
  • Persistently disruptive members may be removed
  • Commercial solicitations are not allowed

Reporting Issues

To report inappropriate behavior or spam: - Email the list administrators - Include the problematic message headers - Describe the issue clearly

Join the community! Send an email to biogrids-users-request@lists.harvard.edu with subject "subscribe" to get started.