[Tex/LaTex] Spanning columns with `\documentclass[twocolumn]{article}`

Question

I started writing an article with the multicol package, and I like the results. However, I'd like to know how to reproduce some of the effects using \documentclass[twocolumn]{article}.

For instance, I'd like to know how to make the title and abstract span the entire width of the paper (i.e. multiple columns). I'd also like to make footnotes span multiple columns, instead of being relegated to one side.

In short, I'd like to see an example that demonstrates these effects.

Answer 1

\documentclass[english]{article}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{lmodern}
\usepackage{microtype}
\usepackage{babel,blindtext}

\begin{document}
\title{Me, I and myself}
\author{me}
\newcommand\makeAbstract{%
\begin{center}\textbf{Abstract}\end{center}
\begin{list}{}{\leftmargin=3em\rightmargin=\leftmargin}\item\relax
\small
 \blindtext -- is the abstract
\end{list}\par\vspace{6mm}%
}    

\twocolumn[\maketitle\makeAbstract]
\bigskip
\blindtext[3]

\end{document}