Technical Help

A Quick Guide to Slack

Slack is a communication platform that will keep us all connected during the event!

How to get started on Slack:

1. Getting In: You'll receive an invitation link to join our workspace. Click the link and create a free account. Your username is your choice, but please use your full name and provide your best email address in your Slack profile.
2. Channels: Channels in Slack are dedicated virtual spaces for focused communication and collaboration on specific topics or projects within a workspace.
   • #general - Inclusive communication hub for event-wide announcements and discussions.
   • #help-desk - Technical support hub for seeking and providing assistance. Participants can post questions, review technical help resources, and contact organizers for further assistance if needed.
   • #shared-references - Resource sharing channel for relevant references to assist with event tasks. References shared are not formally endorsed by NIH/NLM/NCBI, and participants are reminded to adhere to copyright and permission guidelines.
   • #presentations - Presentation repository for sharing and archiving all event presentations, including workflow presentations, lightning stand-ups, and final presentations. Team leaders and writers are responsible for timely sharing of presentations.
   • #networking - Networking platform for participants to share professional websites and relevant job postings, facilitating connections within the event community.
3. Sharing & Collaboration: Easily share files (code, documents, images) by dragging them into the chat window. Communications will not be archived permanently. Important information should be recorded in the project repository or notes.
4. Staying Organized: Use the search bar to find past conversations, files, or people. Join open channels by clicking "Add Channels" and then "Browse Channels" to find and join relevant discussions.

Bonus Tip: React to messages with emojis! It's a quick way to acknowledge ideas or add a touch of fun.

⇒ For more detailed help with using Slack, they provide a comprehensive and easily searchable Help Center.

A Quick Guide to GitHub

GitHub is a web-based platform that helps people store, manage, and collaborate on projects and, often, software code. It's like a virtual library where people can share and work on projects together. Programmers, scientists, and educators all use GitHub to share their work and collaborate. GitHub is popular in the open science community because it allows researchers to openly share their projects, code, and data with others. This promotes transparency, reproducibility, and collaboration. In this event, we will set up repositories for each team to collaborate, store and share your work.

How to get started on GitHub:

1. Look for an email with the subject line "Invitation to collaborate on [repository name]" sent to the email address you provided during registration. This email contains an invitation link to your pre-made team repository on GitHub. The link expires 7 days after sending.
2. Create a GitHub account: sign up for a free account. This account will allow you to access and collaborate on your team's repository.
3. Review your Team Repository and README
4. Contribute to Your Team Project!
   
   • Add files: Click "Upload files" to add new files (code, images, documents) directly through GitHub.
   • Edit files: Click the pencil icon next to a file to edit it directly on GitHub.
   • Commit changes: When you're done editing, write a brief summary (e.g., "Added data visualization") and click "Commit changes" to save your work within the repository.
   • Push changes: Click "Code" and then "Push origin" (or similar button) to upload your edits for your team to see.
5. Keep your project organized.
   • Clear explanations: Use straightforward language in your project descriptions. Avoid overly technical terms that might confuse beginners.
   • Examples: Include examples that demonstrate how to use your code or resources. This makes it easier for students to get started and build upon your work

Team Repositories

All materials generated by your team should be included in your team’s repository on GitHub.

GitHub repositories for the BioEd Summit will have a URL structure of https://github.com/NCBI-Codeathons/bioed-summit-2024-team-* (where * denotes team lead's last name). Team leads are set as admin for their accounts, so if you need access to your team's repo, please ask your team lead. Should you run into any login, permission or other issues throughout the event, please contact the organizers in Slack on the HelpDeak (#help-desk). 

The repository will include a README template to guide you for documentation of your team project’s objectives, as well as a description of each of the major stored materials. At the end of the event, the README should be thorough and contain all fundamental information for someone not affiliated with your team to understand and use your team project.

Please note: GitHub will allow you to upload common document formats (PowerPoint, PDF, images, videos), but has a size limit of 25MB for each file.

GitHub Glossary

The terms used with GitHub can often be confusing for new people to the resource. 
Here are definitions for some commonly used terms to get you started:

• Repository (Repo): A folder that contains all the files and documentation for a project.
• README: A file that provides information about the project, including its purpose, installation instructions, and usage guidelines.
• Commit: Saving changes to files in a repository, creating a snapshot of the project at that moment.
• Clone: Making a copy of a repository onto your local machine for editing.
• Push: Uploading changes made locally to a remote repository on GitHub.
• Pull Request: Proposing changes to the original project's maintainers and requesting that they be merged in.
• Merge Conflict: Occurs when two or more people make changes to the same part of a file, requiring manual resolution.
• Branch: A separate line of development that allows you to work on different features or fixes independently.
• GitHub Pages: A feature for hosting static