What is my function as a postdoc?

[Ruralguy]

I agree with almost everything  Polly and Geneticist said..save for the last Polly comment about the NSF post-doc.   It can be very helpful to be in such a post-doc before a SLAC position so as to get publishing  done and see *how* to do it so that you will be able to it with your hands tied behind your back (because they effectively will be if you work at a typical SLAC). Its only a bad preceding position to a SLAC if you let it be and don't  think about shoring up collaboration, get teaching experience, see how to adapt your work to a SLAC, etc.

But for sure  publications are only the coin of the realm when they are the coin of the realm....there are other realms where they aren't the only thing and may not even have much value at all.  However, on the whole, they'll have some value, so work on that.