2012 Recap: Highlights from last year

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As we start 2013, many of us are busily summarizing 2012.  As product manager for the ACS Network, I thought I would share with you some of the highlights for the year.

First, we started 2012, with a major upgrade (that was officially completed on Dec 29, 2011). Most users probably didn't see it until 2012, and we spent several weeks in the beginning of 2012 fixing small bugs and configuring the system. This was a major upgrade which introduced a new look and feel to the Network and rearranged much of the functionality.  We introduced the What Matter Pagesctivity, Communications, and Actions ) to help you get notifications about the content you are interested. Many of the issues with system speed/performance improved, and the entire Network was more visually pleasing.

Other new functionality introduced in 2012 included

• Photo Albums allow you and your colleagues to organize and share photos from events you sponsor into albums.
• Events & Calendaring allow you to schedule, to invite, and to RSVP to an event. This is a great way to distribute information about events you are sponsoring, including directions, menus, and contact information.
• Quicklinks, currently called “Your Stuff”, is a pulldown menu that is customizable to allow you to create their own set of shortcuts to the groups and forums that you most commonly visit.
• Publications uploader allows you to upload citation information for multiple publications via an RIS file. RIS files can be created from many publishers’ sites.

Of courrse functionality is good, but we are particularly proud of the growth in content.

New Forums

• Chemical Entrepreneurs and its subforums are targeted at chemical entrepreneurs and small businesses and contain various resources to support the endeavors of this audience. At least one of the subforums is restricted to ACS members.
• A new Job Club serves unemployed ACS Members.
• ACS Combinatorial Science highlights some of the latest advances in combinatorial chemistry, biology, materials science and analysis.

Blogs

• The ACS Press Blog now posts to the ACS Network.
• The Nexus Blog is the online companion to the ACS Green Chemistry Institute's monthly newsletter, The Nexus.
• ACS Travel Awards to EuCheMS has posts from nine graduate students who presented their research at the 4th EuCheMS Chemistry Congress in Prague, Czech Republic.
• The ACS International Domestic Student Summit 2012 captured the thoughts and experiences of students attending this event.

Special Groups

• International Chemistry Olympiad contains photos and links to videos from the 2012 International Chemistry Olympiad that was held in Washington, DC.
• Green Chemsitry & Engineering also contains photos from the annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference. It also contains information for the upcoming conference in 2013.
• Ask an ACS Chemist is a group of ACS members who are professionals in their respective fields and who are ready to answer general chemistry and other science related questions.

Finally, the Molecule of the Week was created on the Network, and we ran promotions to friend MOTW, and later in the year, to attend an event sponsored by Molecule of the Week. These promotions were held at both national meetings and four regional meetings. Those participating received a MOTW t-shirt with either caffeine or tryptophan on it.

We are looking forward to 2013. Look for my next post to get hints about what might be coming next.

Happy New Year!