Recruitment Ideas

[David]

So.

MaxPC are on our tail (granted they are between 16 and 20 YEARS away from us, but its not nice to have them biting at our heels, simply on principle) and we dont seem to be increasing production much at the moment.

So, I figure we need ideas on how to recruit more members.

Some used in the past:

- Front Page Plug (didnt work so well last time :()
- Folding Newsletter (I think one of our members did a rather cool first issue for the front page then it kinda died). There was also the old email newsletter.
- Folding Mentor Project - could we resurrect this?
- Some sort of Contest?


Other ideas people have mentioned:
- Flash ads on the forums and front page - would iNet let us have ad space for free/at lower price?
- All change sigs to the same folding@home sig for a week/month to try and get people to join the team.?

[sno.lcn]

I was going to suggest some kind of front page/forum ad. I think that's a great idea, and I'm sure a bunch of people would be willing to throw in a few bux to help. Contests are always cool too.

[WarriorII]

Maybe we could have Ed re-run that last Front Page Article.

I think that along with a contest would be cool.

It was a good article, it was just over shadowed by current events.
(Wizard James in Hospital) for the impact we were looking to get.

I think, that the following 2 weeks, we saw under 10 new people join.
:-/

[jonspd]

WW4? or is it 5

[seadave77]

It's going to be hard for us. We have little exposure where as MaxPC has a paying subscriber base and a website. We have a subsection on a forum. They also only have a folding team on their forum. We have folding, seti, and now other projects. So we are split. And it seems to be we are unorganized. The webpage (we had one remember) has been up and down for a while now it points to the Folding sticky. I think just getting our name out there would help us out very much.

[CGR]

The front page mentions may help a little, but chances are they are only being seen by current people who know about the teams. You have to get the idea to people who have not been here before.

[WarriorII]

Let me look for that last flier I made up & post it for all to see & copy to distribute.

[WarriorII]

WW4? or is it 5


Huh? :shrug:

[sno.lcn]

I could get a job at a computer store(fry's or microcenter) and someone could make an updated flier for me to stuff all the bags with, or it may be easier to just make friends with someone at one of those stores. I went in compUSA once for some stupid reason lilke a year ago and saw a guy I went to high school with working there. I can find out if he still works there and have him put fliers in all the bags for me. I can also walk around all the colleges around(Ga tech, UGA, GA State, etc) and tape fliers up on the walls everywhere. When school starts back in a few weeks, I'll hit all the computer science classrooms with them too.

Maybe we could get interest from non computer related forums I'm sure many of us visit, like all the bmw forums I frequent.

Anyone know how much a magazine ad costs?

[seadave77]

Hey that would be cool. Run a full page ad in MaxPC for Team 32! That would be freaking sweet!

Edit: Found MaxPC's advertising rates.

[WarriorII]

PM me with an e-mail address & I can send you the flier I have.

I can't find the .JPG I had of it, but I do have it in .DOC format for printing.

In the mean time here is one thats been around a while.

[sno.lcn]

Hey that would be cool. Run a full page ad in MaxPC for Team 32! That would be freaking sweet!

Edit: Found MaxPC's advertising rates.
Wow, the cheapest we could run an ad is 8 grand?
It would aslo be cool to try and buy a (cheaper?) ad in a smaller magazine.
PM me with an e-mail address & I can send you the flier I have.

I can't find the .JPG I had of it, but I do have it in .DOC format for printing.

In the mean time here is one thats been around a while.
I think you have my email addy. My name at gmail.:)

[ihrsetrdr]

- All change sigs to the same folding@home sig for a week/month to try and get people to join the team.?

Well, that's inexpensive, and instantly do-able. We all would then have to go forth and post frequently on the other forums in OCF to give exposure to the team. Also, perhaps posting on FoldingCommunity.org with our sigs could drum up some exposure, although most of those folks are already on a team. At least FoldingCommunity allows mention of indiviual teams in the sig, whereas other competing forums would not(and would be in poor taste).

[WarriorII]

E-mail sent.

Under "For Local information:"

I would put your contact info or a this web site / Forum link.

[sno.lcn]

I was also thinking maybe we could try and recruit/absorb some of the smaller teams.
Well, that's inexpensive, and instantly do-able. We all would then have to go forth and post frequently on the other forums in OCF to give exposure to the team. Also, perhaps posting on FoldingCommunity.org with our sigs could drum up some exposure, although most of those folks are already on a team. At least FoldingCommunity allows mention of indiviual teams in the sig, whereas other competing forums would not(and would be in poor taste).
I just made the folding part of my sig bigger. I see no problem with putting it in our sigs for other forums as long as that's not the only reason we're there.
E-mail sent.

Under "For Local information:"

I would put your contact info or a this web site / Forum link.
Recieved. Thank you sir!

I'll add some contact info and forum url and stuff like that. In addition to sticking them up everywhere, I'll email it to everyone I know.

*Edit: I know myspace is teh super-gay, but a myspace page couldn't hurt either.

*Edit: They just made me a moderator on another forum so I'm going to stick fah plugs everywhere!

[jonspd]

WW3

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=283180&highlight=World

ww4

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=363459&highlight=World



We need a WW5 maybe I should start it and someone else be the challenger and see if I can get to 1 mill by the end of the war.

[seadave77]

I wouldn't start it. {PMS} will have your head.

[WarriorII]

:p

oh yeah. :) I remember those.

[jonspd]

I wouldn't start it. {PMS} will have your head.


Tis a open forum and I dont think he would get close enough to :D

[@md0Cer]

So.

MaxPC are on our tail (granted they are between 16 and 20 YEARS away from us, but its not nice to have them biting at our heels, simply on principle) and we dont seem to be increasing production much at the moment.

So, I figure we need ideas on how to recruit more members.

Some used in the past:

- Front Page Plug (didnt work so well last time :()
- Folding Newsletter (I think one of our members did a rather cool first issue for the front page then it kinda died). There was also the old email newsletter.
- Folding Mentor Project - could we resurrect this?
- Some sort of Contest?


Other ideas people have mentioned:
- Flash ads on the forums and front page - would iNet let us have ad space for free/at lower price?
- All change sigs to the same folding@home sig for a week/month to try and get people to join the team.?


OOOO! OOO! I am workin on it! I have a dedicated site and forum up for it already. I was thinking we could get a bunch of volunteers and keep all recruitment ideas in the site so nobody steals em. And we can also discuss recruiting in.. *ahem* * cough cough* *nudge* stuff like that. :p

I have a whole bunch of groups and divisions though. I still need some time. I have to think about all of it, how many people we need, etc. I will see if I can finalize the projects I had in mind (btw, once the site is up and things are running smooth, it doesn't just have to my projects, anyone who can come up with something to work on can go for it and have their own section at the site), and outline how many people I need for each task.

[David]

Whoa. Nice to see so many ideas :D.

I reckon a WW5 would be pretty good.

If any other users/teams on a similar production level to OC-Rev.com (subteam on team 32) want a race then I'm up for it :>


OOOO! OOO! I am workin on it! I have a dedicated site and forum up for it already. I was thinking we could get a bunch of volunteers and keep all recruitment ideas in the site so nobody steals em. And we can also discuss recruiting in.. *ahem* * cough cough* *nudge* stuff like that. :p

I have a whole bunch of groups and divisions though. I still need some time. I have to think about all of it, how many people we need, etc. I will see if I can finalize the projects I had in mind (btw, once the site is up and things are running smooth, it doesn't just have to my projects, anyone who can come up with something to work on can go for it and have their own section at the site), and outline how many people I need for each task.

I can sort you out with a hidden section at OC-Rev if you wanted?

[@md0Cer]

I can sort you out with a hidden section at OC-Rev if you wanted?

Thanks for the offer, but I pretty have it all done and set up already. Just working on some final stuff to get it ready to go. :D

Ever since the FMP kinda died off I have been working on it bit by bit. This is pretty much ready to get HUGE. If it starts off as a success and we start recruiting more people, more people will probably be on the team and willing to help out even more which in turn gives us more resources to recruit even more people...etc.etc.

I have absolutely no idea why, but suddenly now I have the enthusiasm I lacked for quite a while. I gtg tow my POS car to the mechanic or roll it off a cliff or something first, when I get back I'm going to hit it hard and hopefully have a plan layed out. :D :D

[orionlion82]

the WWX series diddnt boost production that much overall, or in the long term.
it just redistributed power in the team because everyone either just "signed on" to it or changed their username. sure was a ton of fun though.

[dwschoon]

the WWX series diddnt boost production that much overall, or in the long term.
it just redistributed power in the team because everyone either just "signed on" to it or changed their username. sure was a ton of fun though.

I agree. It is fun, but wont help much.

edit: I like the idea of advertising in our signature. I would be willing to change mine to whatever. Maybe we could incorporate something like the autosig script like i have now, but tweak it.

[psyshack]

Fact is 32 does more with less than anybody!!!! We are the best!!! We fold and crunch at levels that only the best could,,, and would do it.

Our seti and folding teams are wicked!

The best will always find us. And we will always be the best! Just takes some yerning for some learning, to yet make another over the top 24/7 team member.

We dont have tp beg for the baby's,, but we damn sure need to make them a home when they ask!!!!!!

[TollhouseFrank]

hmm.

Someone mentioned the other DC teams. Guys, please don't use that as an excuse. Just because it isn't F@H doesn't mean it is worthless (take some time to look at the Other-DC room... we have found quite a few DC projects that take next to no, or NO additional CPU power).

WW5? Don't worry about Fishy. Last I talked with him, he indicated he was pretty much out of folding. I'm sure a WW5 would be fun. It sure was fun in WW3 and 4.

Front page bumps not working too much? Hmm. Something we could try, is taking out adds in the classifieds of our local newspapers. Most of them let you do so for cheap, if not free.

And guys, I honestly wouldn't worry too much about MaxPC. by the time they become a true 'threat' to us, F@H may already have "folded under". What projects will we be doing then? What if Vijay Pande were fired or suddenly left Stanford? The project would likely shut down. What DC project would you look forward to then?

Please, don't take what I say as a a knock on F@H. We should be trying to grow OCForums as a Distributed Computing King. Depending on whose stats you look at (for combined team stats), we are in the very best of the best world-wide. The last I checked, (just a few minutes ago), we are number 14th in the world overall as a forum! That is something to be proud of! http://www.dc-vault.com/showteam.php?team=69 is where I got the stats for us at.

Guys, I don't want you all to think I'm saying F@H isn't important. I haven't said that, or meant to hint at it. It IS important, but it's important to each of us for a different reason. Some of us are in it for the competition, some as a way to stress-test our machines, some fold for the science, some in the memory of a loved one.

But let's not forget the team work ethic and spirit. No, we don't have the numbers of the other forums. We don't have the built in advantages of teams like MaxPC with free plugs in thier magazine. But have we let that get us down before? Have we let that get in our way before?

We WILL grow. Yes, it may be slow, but it will happen. We may eventually lose the #3 spot - to either go to #2, or drop to #4. But if we drop, don't look on it as the end of the world. Look at it as an opportunity for competition! An opportunity to borg harder, faster, and better!

And guys/gals, let's just have fun.

[dwschoon]

I had a brainstorm tonight. Our primary objective needs to be to get our website running as soon as possible. We need to have a page on it dedicated to a sales pitch to try to bring new people into folding. It should be geared toward people who have no idea what distributed computing is, and may not even be that computer savvy. If we just tell people to check out the one click stick, it can be overwhelming since there are so many different options to choose. On the sales pitch page there can be links to a download page and this forum if they have more questions. On the download page there should be a box that a prospective folder types in the name they want to fold under and that name is checked to make sure it doesnt already exist. It will then present them with a dialogue box that either says the name is or isnt in use and asks if they want to continue. If they click yes, a "one click" file is generated for them to download that already includes their name and all other info in the client.cfg file. No further config is necessary. Just run the file and they are folding under their name for team 32. It should be setup to fold regular wu's w/o -advmethods. That way the user can run it and forget about it and it will never affect their system performance. They can always get info later to maximize ppd if they get into the points in addition to the science. The download page should also have an option to generate a one click file that folds anonomosly for team 32 if the user decides that they want to help the science project, but dont want to worry about usernames and points. Finally, there should be a downloadable uninstaller that will remove this install if the user decides they dont want it anymore. The whole concept should be geared toward computer noobs, so that once it is finished, fliers with the web address to the page can be given out at coffee shops, computer stores, and such.

[Joeteck]

It's going to be hard for us. We have little exposure where as MaxPC has a paying subscriber base and a website. We have a subsection on a forum. They also only have a folding team on their forum. We have folding, seti, and now other projects. So we are split. And it seems to be we are unorganized. The webpage (we had one remember) has been up and down for a while now it points to the Folding sticky. I think just getting our name out there would help us out very much.


Can't we do a sub domain and dedicate it to F@H?

[@md0Cer]

I had a brainstorm tonight. Our primary objective needs to be to get our website running as soon as possible. We need to have a page on it dedicated to a sales pitch to try to bring new people into folding. It should be geared toward people who have no idea what distributed computing is, and may not even be that computer savvy. If we just tell people to check out the one click stick, it can be overwhelming since there are so many different options to choose. On the sales pitch page there can be links to a download page and this forum if they have more questions. On the download page there should be a box that a prospective folder types in the name they want to fold under and that name is checked to make sure it doesnt already exist. It will then present them with a dialogue box that either says the name is or isnt in use and asks if they want to continue. If they click yes, a "one click" file is generated for them to download that already includes their name and all other info in the client.cfg file. No further config is necessary. Just run the file and they are folding under their name for team 32. It should be setup to fold regular wu's w/o -advmethods. That way the user can run it and forget about it and it will never affect their system performance. They can always get info later to maximize ppd if they get into the points in addition to the science. The download page should also have an option to generate a one click file that folds anonomosly for team 32 if the user decides that they want to help the science project, but dont want to worry about usernames and points. Finally, there should be a downloadable uninstaller that will remove this install if the user decides they dont want it anymore. The whole concept should be geared toward computer noobs, so that once it is finished, fliers with the web address to the page can be given out at coffee shops, computer stores, and such.

Oh, I definitely agree. And I am working on it as we speak. Although, it won't just be geared toward people who don't know what distributed computing is, it will be geared towards EVERYTHING RECRUITMENT. :D

[dwschoon]

Oh, I definitely agree. And I am working on it as we speak. Although, it won't just be geared toward people who don't know what distributed computing is, it will be geared towards EVERYTHING RECRUITMENT. :D

I understand. Im just saying that if we intend to try to recruit anyone outside of the forums, we have to assume that at least some will have very little computer experience, i.e. some grandmother who picks up a flier at starbucks and decides to try it on her 2 year old dell. If a person like that gets to a site with a lot of jargon and config settings, they will be overwhelmed and probably decide not to participate. If we can come up with a script that will automatically config a client for their computer with the name they choose, or let them fold anonymously, I think we have a higher chance of getting someone like that to participate. I also think that it is better in this case to have it set to bigpackets=no and no -advmethods by default.

[Joeteck]

Oh, I definitely agree. And I am working on it as we speak. Although, it won't just be geared toward people who don't know what distributed computing is, it will be geared towards EVERYTHING RECRUITMENT. :D

Noobs will install the software and wonder why their PC is so slow. Its not spy ware, but it is a CPU hog if you don't configure it properly. Don't want to leave the noobies with a bad taste in their mouths from F@H. The average user does not have a Pentium D, or a dual core anything. I would imagine AMD XP or Celeron @ best. Is it possible to make the installer set the CPU to 50%, instead of the default 100?


I find F@H fun and exciting, but why the urgency to get more people?

[Joeteck]

PM me with an e-mail address & I can send you the flier I have.

I can't find the .JPG I had of it, but I do have it in .DOC format for printing.

In the mean time here is one thats been around a while.

Team32 should put that link in thier SIGS, nice and big. Someone curious enough would see that most of us have it, and click on it.

[dwschoon]

Noobs will install the software and wonder why their PC is so slow. Its not spy ware, but it is a CPU hog if you don't configure it properly. Don't want to leave the noobies with a bad taste in their mouths from F@H. The average user does not have a Pentium D, or a dual core anything. I would imagine AMD XP or Celeron @ best. Is it possible to make the installer set the CPU to 50%, instead of the default 100?


I find F@H fun and exciting, but why the urgency to get more people?

This can be done, but really isnt necessary. As long at the machine is configured for regular wu's, i.e. no bigpackets or -advmethods, they shouldnt notice any performance decrease. The core will back off to give other processes cpu cycles, and regular wu's dont take much ram.

The urgency is that we want to be the best team out there, plus, the more people folding, the more science is done.

[Joeteck]

This can be done, but really isnt necessary. As long at the machine is configured for regular wu's, i.e. no bigpackets or -advmethods, they shouldnt notice any performance decrease. The core will back off to give other processes cpu cycles, and regular wu's dont take much ram.

The urgency is that we want to be the best team out there, plus, the more people folding, the more science is done.

Hmm, ok. I modified my SIG. Hopfully TEAM32 approves it.

[WarriorII]

Eww!


dump the GUI version linkage. :p

not as stable as console.

[dwschoon]

Eww!


dump the GUI version linkage. :p

not as stable as console.

But its purty!:rolleyes:

[Karbon]

actually your signature is against forum rules...

[Joeteck]

Eww!


dump the GUI version linkage. :p

not as stable as console.

But for a noob, wouldnt they get confused with the console??

[Joeteck]

actually your signature is against forum rules...


True, but since it has to do with F@H & TEAM32, they might let it go...

[Karbon]

no.

[sno.lcn]

Make a post with those download links, then put a link in your sig to that post. I'm pretty sure that should be okay.

[WarriorII]

Please fix the sig BEFORE someone does it for you. :rolleyes:

[Joeteck]

Please fix the sig BEFORE someone does it for you. :rolleyes:

That would not be the first time...

[@md0Cer]

I understand. Im just saying that if we intend to try to recruit anyone outside of the forums, we have to assume that at least some will have very little computer experience, i.e. some grandmother who picks up a flier at starbucks and decides to try it on her 2 year old dell. If a person like that gets to a site with a lot of jargon and config settings, they will be overwhelmed and probably decide not to participate. If we can come up with a script that will automatically config a client for their computer with the name they choose, or let them fold anonymously, I think we have a higher chance of getting someone like that to participate. I also think that it is better in this case to have it set to bigpackets=no and no -advmethods by default.

Oh definitely. We already have tons of recruitment letters and stuff for completely computerly illiterate people. All of which could definitely be improved.

[@md0Cer]

I find F@H fun and exciting, but why the urgency to get more people?


To expand team 32, help out the project more, many reasons. :) Everyone else has been doing some insane ramping up over the years, look at [H] and OCAU, even Maximum PC. We have been staying somewhat steady though.

[WarriorII]

Having approximately 700 active members and being #3 in the World is kinda tuff.

We have a deticated bunch alright.

If we even had 1/3 more people we'd be a lot higher in the ranks.

Look at Maxpc, they have double our Active #'s
and how many years are they behind? :p

If we are #3 with 700 people, imagine how we'd be doing if we had more people.

Fold On!! Borg On !! :D
:attn:

[Joeteck]

To expand team 32, help out the project more, many reasons. :) Everyone else has been doing some insane ramping up over the years, look at [H] and OCAU, even Maximum PC. We have been staying somewhat steady though.


I have my dual core 805, using one core just for folding so I can do my work as well.

One of my servers here just does DHCP, WSUS, NAV and printing, so both those 3.06 Xeons are working hard full blast. I also have a celeron 2.8Ghz Folding, more the better.

[David]

The webpage is my fault. I simply cannot get round to sorting it out.

I would love to have a custom PHP site but we may have to go with something more off the shelf.

I don't want to touch mambo (exploits), phpnuke (barf) or some others that look horrific.

Really, even manually updated HTML works for me.

I'll try to play with it and see if I can get something useful up.

Sorry for slacking (damn work :()

David

[orionlion82]

i agree on the website idea.
all you would have to do is talk a bit and if theres interest, scribble down the address, and leave it in their hands.

[Shelnutt2]

Well School starts in August down here. Already tried to borg the school, was a no go, but now we have a secondary newspaper starting up. Long story short there is a lot of people that due to magnet programs can't join the school newspaper so we've got permission to start up a club the makes a newspaper for the school.

I'm in charge of the website for this newspaper, and I'm also going to be the writer for the tech section of the paper. So I'd be willing to put out sever articles in the paper and on the website. Will over 3k students there is bound to be at least 1 person who will read the article and will start folding. If someone has a nice article that works for the computer illiterate people of my school then I'd be more than happy to through it on the website now and in the first publication of the paper. PM me and I'll give you my email, so I can get the article.

[David]

OK. So I've been playing with wordpress.

And so far, I have: http://www.davidnet.co.uk/octeams/ .

As you can see I have been messing with themes etc. However the layout is a bit messed up.

If anyone could correct the CSS (I dont know CSS!) please feel free to do so:


/* Begin Structure */
body {
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
}

#page {
background-color: #000000;
margin: 20px auto;
padding: 0;
width: 1000px; /* I changed this from 800px */
border: 1px solid #959596;
text-align: left;
}

#header {
padding: 0;
margin: auto;
margin-left: auto;
margin-right: auto;
height: 200px;
/* width: 100%; Changing from 100% to 1000px didnt work */
width: 1000px;
background-color: #171E3B;
}

#headerimg {
margin: 0;
height: 200px;
/* width: 100%; see above */
width: 1000px;
}

.narrowcolumn {
width: 500px;
margin-left: 10px;
margin-right: 10px;
padding-top: 10px;
z-index: -1;

}

.widecolumn {
padding: 10px 0 20px 0;
margin: 5px 0 0 150px;
width: 450px;
}

.post {
margin: 0 0 40px;
text-align: justify;
}

.widecolumn .post {
margin: 0;
}

.narrowcolumn .postmetadata {
padding-top: 5px;
}

.widecolumn .postmetadata {
margin: 30px 0;
}

.widecolumn .smallattachment {
text-align: center;
float: left;
width: 128px;
margin: 5px 5px 5px 0px;
}

.widecolumn .attachment {
text-align: center;
margin: 5px 0px;
}

.postmetadata {
/* clear: left;*/
}

#footer {
padding: 0 0 0 0;
margin: 0 auto;
width: 100%;
clear: both;
}

#footer p {
margin: 0;
padding: 20px 0;
text-align: center;
}
/* End Structure */

[orionlion82]

ooooohhhhhh!!!!
me likes!
OC REV STYLE!!
yeehaw!

[WarriorII]

CSS= CounterStrikeSource

:D

[LandShark]

I too would agree a team site and team member sig.

I remember we used to be able to purchase ad on the forum (may be when it wasn't sold yet...:rolleyes: ). seti team did that (when I was with them), and I remember seeing folding team's ad too. if it isn't too much a forum ad might helps too.

[@md0Cer]

The webpage is my fault. I simply cannot get round to sorting it out.

I would love to have a custom PHP site but we may have to go with something more off the shelf.

I don't want to touch mambo (exploits), phpnuke (barf) or some others that look horrific.

Really, even manually updated HTML works for me.

I'll try to play with it and see if I can get something useful up.

Sorry for slacking (damn work :()

David

Yuck. For the recruitment site I ended up using Mambo, but then I realized after I got it looking all pretty that for recruitment we don't really need a front page, just a forum. Bye bye Mambo. That actually helps matters quite a bit. Anyway, Mambo is just kindof ick...there are some aspects of it that feel incredibly cheap. It sure isn't as good of a project as phpBB is.

[@md0Cer]

Oh and just for the sake of mentioning it, I got a laptop up and running. 2.13GHz Dothan. It is running at like 105C so I have it upside down with a bag of ice on it while it is charging, and when it is charged I put it in the freezer. :eek: :D :D

[AmbientFiction]

How about everyone get a myspace account and flod it with bullitens about F@H?

[David]

How about everyone get a myspace account and flod it with bullitens about F@H?

Website flooding isn't what we want, really.

[AmbientFiction]

I know David but everyone has myspace accounts just kicking ideas around.

[TollhouseFrank]

I know David but everyone has myspace accounts just kicking ideas around.


not everyone.

some of us aren't little blighters still in middle-high school trying to lash out at the world through our own personal-in-view-of-everyone diary.

If you can't tell... i don't like myspace. I only have an account so i can view my wife's myspace to make sure she isn't giving out personal details.

[sno.lcn]

I have facebook to keep up with the local college parties, and I mentioned folding, ocforums, and overclockers.com everywhere I could on it. IMO a team 32 myspace page wouldn't be bad though, since so many people would see it.

BTW, I'm at a friend's house borging her notebook as we speak!

[WarriorII]

Hehehehehe...... yeah sure. :p


You gonna stick with that story? or would you like to try another?

:D




Fold On !

[AmbientFiction]

I don't really like blogging myself but I have to take care of my brothers account there he is an artist.

[jonspd]

How about everyone get a myspace account and flod it with bullitens about F@H?


great idea I think I might get me a myspace account :D


Also david the site look's pretty good so far now get it up and running.


We need a mentor project/ww4 @ the same time IMO.

With all the new set-up being built we should be able to get more active member's/

[muddocktor]

I have refrained from posting in this thread until now, because I wanted to see what other folks thought would help too.

I agree that we really need to get the Team 32 Folding website operational soon as it gives the team a "home base", so to speak, where we could put helpful links to stats, setting up the client both manually and with the one-click, configuring for dialup, etc. It could also be a place to post up current events in folding, such as the present heatwave in Cali affecting Stanford and also post links to the papers that have been published by Stanford due to our cycle donations to this project. In other words, a "one stop shopping center" for anything folding related. David, it looks like you've made a good start on getting a website together, but I know how that dastardly thing called work gets in the way of a bunch of things we all would rather do. So don't take this as me trying to light a fire under your feet to get it done by tomorrow.

Another "WWx" contest would also be fun to do and IMO, will boost production for the team. It has to be done like we did the last "not WW4" contest though, with everyone folding under their own username and the various usernames assigned to 1 of 2 different teams. That worked out very well last time and no one individual username got an unfair advantage by getting hundreds of thousands of points added to their folding scores for machines they actually don't own or control. The last contest also did add to production, not so much due to getting new folders but rather by inspiring members to borg more rigs and it also brought a few old time team members that weren't actively folding back to the folding realm again.

The monthly paper that Gnerma did for 3-4 months a couple of years ago was nice, but I am sure that it took up quite a bit of time to compose and get out each month. A person deciding to do this would have a full time job getting it done, I imagine.

TollhouseFrank, all the other DC projects now going are actually hurting both of the original 2 teams this forum backed (Seti and F@H) by diluting the number of people that frequent these forums who will actually participate in a DC project to many more choices than before. That's not necessarily bad in the overall picture of DC projects, but it has had a negative effect on both Team 32 and OCF Seti. On the Seti side, they switched to using the BOINC model which has multiple different projects running under the BOINC client and with F@H, all the other BOINC projects tend to take away from potential members for Team 32 and Seti also. But I guess that is just the way it will be since Seti had decided to run their project under the BOINC client instead of having their own dedicated client like they used to have. :( As for F@H shutting down any time soon, I really don't see that happening. Even if Doctor Pande would move on, I think that Stanford would have someone who would step into his shoes and keep the project moving on. They are getting concrete results from this project and I think that the government and big business wouldn't let this project fall apart now, since it is providing new insights into diseases and also concepts of study. I seem to remember that you used to be "Mr. Gung Ho" about folding and it helped get you your blue stars fast, but you really backed away from the project lately it seems. :(

As for worrying about getting passed by MaxPC, well I really don't even think too much about it. After all, we just pull members from one forums that are affiliated with one front page that only does generally 1 article per day and no news links. MaxPC is able to advertise their team in their nationally distributed magazine and there is no way we could ever come close to reaching the amount of people they have access to. If they can ramp up enough people folding to pass us,well that is good for the project because we have set a high bar for them to jump. And they will have a hell of a time doing this because we are a dedicated team, for whatever our own private reasons for folding. As for getting enough new members to challenge the Aussies or the [H], well we will have a hard row to hoe there. Our front page gets nowhere the number of hits that [H] does and if you notice, the [H] regularly promotes their teams every couple of weeks on their front page too, not every 6 months or worse like Ed and Co. do for us. Kyle, the owner of the [H] is an active folder, whereas Ed and Co. are not. And the Aussies have a whole continent to get their members from too. There are Aussies that fold for other teams, but by and large they pretty much stick to their own home-grown team.

Anyways, enough of my rambling on here. ;)

mudd

[Joeteck]

I've noticed that we have many, MANY inactive members... Looks like they tried it for a little while then stopped. So as it may seem like we have alot, but we really don't. Is there a way to see who is active and who is not?

[sno.lcn]

If they have like 0 avg. ppd they're probably inactive.

Anyone in gray in this list (http://folding.extremeoverclocking.com/user_list.php?s=&t=32) should be inactive.

[David]

Fixed.

http://www.davidnet.co.uk/octeams/

OK.

Now we just need a decent header and footer image. If anyone has some good ideas/submissions we need a 1000x200px header and a 1000x85px footer. The text isnt on the images, the CSS lays the text on top of it.

Something in dark blues or reds, with the FaH gear if possible, would be good.

[Joeteck]

Fixed.

http://www.davidnet.co.uk/octeams/

OK.

Now we just need a decent header and footer image. If anyone has some good ideas/submissions we need a 1000x200px header and a 1000x85px footer. The text isnt on the images, the CSS lays the text on top of it.

Something in dark blues or reds, with the FaH gear if possible, would be good.

I love the quote!!

"Folding for the cause, one overclocked PC at a time…"

[TollhouseFrank]

muddocktor..... folding@home didn't get me my blues. F@H is NOT a prerequisite for being a senior and never will be. Even suggesting that I was voted on by all the mods to be turned into a Senior just because I was "gungho about folding" is insulting. It takes more than that to be a senior. Do I need to point it out to you where it says so? I hope I don't have to link to which thread this in in, but i'll post the info just in case:


Senior Member - Blue Stars – Senior Members have been recognized for a multitude of traits. All are extremely intelligent in the methods of overclocking, civil, kind, and active in the life of the forums. Senior Members are appointed by the Moderators and Staff in recognition of their service to the forums.



.....Here is what the moderators and staff look for when appointing Senior Members: (In order of importance)

1. A willingness to help others, particularly when an individual has little personal interest in the topic or problem. As when a Senior helps a beginner with a problem which has been discussed many times in the past.
2. A demonstrated patience and reserve in dealing with disagreeable people.
3. The ability to discuss or disagree in a topic on the basis of REASON rather than personal attacks, which never further knowledge, but can only wound hearts.
4.A reasonable to good back ground in overclocking and cooling combined with a general knowledge of hardware as a whole.
5. Approximately three - four months in our forum. Time to demonstrate a continuing interest in our forum and allow us to determine the presence of the afore mentioned qualities.


Again, I see nothing about being "gungho aboutF@H" helping in any way.

Sorry if I sound angry. I apologize if I have offended you. But I take exception when someone claims I got the blues just because I was a 'good folder'.

I still am gungho about F@H.. but i'm gungho in a different way. I want to promote ALL the DC projects we have to help the OCForums as a whole in the DC community. You'd be surprised at the number of projects out there (yes, on that 'horrible boinc') that are similar in scope to F@H. Also, I have YET to see a points decline in F@H due to projects like DIMES or Red-Library. When they use 0% cpu time, and DO NOT affect your F@H stats, why do you complain? Why do you all that seem to HATE anything to do with a DC project other than F@H feel so? f@h IS NOT the end-all be-all of Distributed Computing. Yes, it is a noble goal. BUT, is it any less noble than all the other projects out there (yes, many in boinc) that are going for similar results or working on different aspects of protein folding? I'm sorry, but there is an escence of hatred on BOTH SIDES of the isle. F@H people that lash out at SETI folk, SETI folk that lash out at F@H folk, and it doesn't help either side. Us in the Alt-DC movement feel we have 'seen the light' and realize that none of the projects are more important than any other. People will give to what THEY feel is important. You may give to F@H. Someone else may give to SETI. But I give to whatever I feel helps out the OCForums the most. I've almost given up F@H because of the pervasive attitudes i've seen from people downing anything that isn't F@H. This rant isn't just for you guys either... it fits well with the SETI Folks, as they have the same issues with us Alt-DC'ers.

But I do wonder though... F@H won't always be around. Neither will SETI, DIMES, or Red-Library, or SIMAP, ClimatePrediction, and even the BOINC infrastructure could go down. What will we do with our extra cpu-cycles once our favorite DC project goes down? Where will we turn to use our CPU power when F@H is gone, or SETI, or any of them?

We have seen recently that mother nature can throw quite a monkey-wrench into the process just by forcing the servers to shut down due to extreme heat and electricity rationing. This has only been for a couple of days. What if it were to happen for weeks on end? For a whole summer? What would you do? What would Team32 do if F@H got shut down? (it is a real possibility. All it takes is a funding cut and *boom*, F@H is out the window) Could we be a 'gungho' about another project?

Yes, I may seem negative, but I do not mean to. But sometimes, I feel people on here need a wake-up call. Yes, the F@H team needs a boost, but are you really so afraid of competition from MaxPC? Are you worried we might fall a spot in a few years?

Whatever happened to healthy competition? Whatever happened to asking fellow forum-mates for help? Do you not think if the time came down to it, that us Alt-DC folk wouldn't be more than willing to turn all our power towards helping T32? Please, do not turn your backs on a resource. Alt-DC is here to help the entire forums. If the SETI folks got into a race for say.. to keep 9th place overall... do you not think that the Alt-DC people wouldn't be willing to drop a few projects to give them a boost? We want to help both sides, but that help can be cut off if hatred from both sides of things non F@H/SETI continues. I know i've been ready to give up on F@H because of it. I'm sure there are others.

[sno.lcn]

Well said frank, I honestly don't see how the Alt.DC projects are hurting anything.

[dwschoon]

Just so we are clear here, I think everyone has valid points, and Im sure no one meant any harm or offence to anyone else. I do not think that any project is "stealing" from any other. That would imply that the project itself has a say in what your computer runs, when in fact, it is up to each user to decide where to donate those extra cpu cycles. Im all for FAH and it is my main goal, but I really like the direction this forum is headed as far as alt DC projects. It gives me, then end user, the ability to make an informed decision as to what project(s) I want to participate in. Any user can donate to one, or many projects, without having to do a lot of research. It is nice not to have to throw all my eggs in one basket. ;)

[muddocktor]

muddocktor..... folding@home didn't get me my blues.

I never said it was the sole reason that you got your blues and if you constued this to be an attack on you, then you are mistaken. If you took offense then I apologise. But the fact remains that when you first started folding you were very enthusiastic and helpful and it sure didn't hurt your chances of getting your blues. After all, helping people out on various subjects is one of the criteria of senior membership, just like you quoted. :)

want to promote ALL the DC projects we have to help the OCForums as a whole in the DC community. You'd be surprised at the number of projects out there (yes, on that 'horrible boinc') that are similar in scope to F@H.

I've never called BOINC a terrible idea. As a matter of fact, I think that BOINC is a good idea and I hope that Stanford can get their BOINC client up and running soon, as it opens up more avenues to help the project that I think is most important. But you can't argue that BOINC has to have a negative effect especially on the Seti team, since there are so many different projects that can be chosen to work on under BOINC. And BOINC is the only way that Seti is done now.

Also, I have YET to see a points decline in F@H due to projects like DIMES or Red-Library. When they use 0% cpu time, and DO NOT affect your F@H stats, why do you complain?

I've never stated a thing about Dimes before now and I know nothing at all about Red-Library. I do know that before OCF ever messed with Dimes, Short Media had people running Dimes that also were folding for their team and had seen almost no impact on F@H. Their participation in Dimes preceeded OCF's by at least 6 months or better.

Why do you all that seem to HATE anything to do with a DC project other than F@H feel so? f@h IS NOT the end-all be-all of Distributed Computing. Yes, it is a noble goal. BUT, is it any less noble than all the other projects out there (yes, many in boinc) that are going for similar results or working on different aspects of protein folding? I'm sorry, but there is an escence of hatred on BOTH SIDES of the isle. F@H people that lash out at SETI folk, SETI folk that lash out at F@H folk, and it doesn't help either side.

I'm strictly into folding, but I don't denigrate any other DC project. I think that the DC model is a great idea and with the various different projects adopting this model and working the bugs out on it, you will see more and more research going to DC clients for the sheer number crunching power that is running sitting idle instead of doing useful work in research. And I think that with more exposure to the DC model through the various pioneers doing it nowdays (I still look at the present day of DC still as pioneering days of DC), I think that slowly the general public will accept and hopefully embrace this novel new way to do research.

But I do wonder though... F@H won't always be around. Neither will SETI, DIMES, or Red-Library, or SIMAP, ClimatePrediction, and even the BOINC infrastructure could go down. What will we do with our extra cpu-cycles once our favorite DC project goes down? Where will we turn to use our CPU power when F@H is gone, or SETI, or any of them?

I imagine that if I'm still around and kicking when this project wraps up, I'll find another DC project that suits me. But I don't see F@H going away in the forseeable future as there is just too much basic research left to do, even before more advanced research can be done.

We have seen recently that mother nature can throw quite a monkey-wrench into the process just by forcing the servers to shut down due to extreme heat and electricity rationing. This has only been for a couple of days. What if it were to happen for weeks on end? For a whole summer? What would you do? What would Team32 do if F@H got shut down? (it is a real possibility. All it takes is a funding cut and *boom*, F@H is out the window) Could we be a 'gungho' about another project?

If a prolonged heatwave would shut the F@H project down for a few weeks (or some other catastrophe) I would probably install BOINC and run Seti until F@H was back up, since they are the other big team on these forums. Since there are just so many people here on these forums that are willing to do DC, I personally feel that these forums should concentrate on just a couple of projects to maximise our number crunching prowness and help the long established teams out. I'd rather excel in one or 2 things than be mediocre in many. This is not to say that all the other DC projects are crap because they are not, or that they are not worthy of my cycles. But I feel it helps these Forums better by concentration of power in DC. That is just my feeling on the matter though and I know that other people like you Frank, feel differently and I respect your opinion too.

Yes, the F@H team needs a boost, but are you really so afraid of competition from MaxPC? Are you worried we might fall a spot in a few years?

I don't know if you directed this statement at me, Frank, but I feel much the same about MaxPC as you. Their user base is helped due to the fact that their team is tied to a major magazine publication that is widely distributed and gives their team free plugs in the magazine. There is no way we (or even the [H]) can get that kind of free exposure. I think that it's great that we have done as well as we have over the years myself.

Just so we are clear here, I think everyone has valid points, and Im sure no one meant any harm or offence to anyone else. I do not think that any project is "stealing" from any other. That would imply that the project itself has a say in what your computer runs, when in fact, it is up to each user to decide where to donate those extra cpu cycles. Im all for FAH and it is my main goal, but I really like the direction this forum is headed as far as alt DC projects. It gives me, then end user, the ability to make an informed decision as to what project(s) I want to participate in. Any user can donate to one, or many projects, without having to do a lot of research. It is nice not to have to throw all my eggs in one basket.

Heh, dwschoon posted this while I was composing this post (in between having to do actual work ;) ). I see that he feels differently about this subject of many different teams for OCF. I personally think he's wrong for my previously stated reason, but I also respect his reason too. I feel that concentration of power into just a couple of teams is the way to go. :)

[TollhouseFrank]

Mudd, the whole statement wasn't against you. Only the first paragraph or so.... Sorry, i should have split it up better.

Hmm.... this is where we are on the opposite sides of the coin thing.

Oh well.

People, please don't think I'm in here trying to tear down F@H. F@H was my first DC passion, and as long as Stanford runs it, I"ll always have at least 1 computer dedicated to it.

I just feel differently than Mudd.... mishandled my emotions.....

sorry man. Do ya forgive me?

[muddocktor]

No problem, THF. Just send me a batch of cookies and all is forgotten. :D

Actually, you and I have similar views on a lot of the subjects we've just discussed. And nothing makes my blood boil as fast as someone going to the other DC forums (whichever way) and posting denigrating stuff about the other guy's DC project. After all, we are all donating our excess cycles to science in one subject or another.

And you did bring up a good topic about if the Stanford (or BOINC) servers would be out of commision for a large length of time too. Instead of just having your machines sit idle, do another DC project for an OCF team until your project is back online. Luckily for us this time, Stanford was still able to keep some servers online.

[Joeteck]

How does one get the reds, or greens?? I've been a member since 2001, longer than most Blues... Yet, I'm still orange...

[WarriorII]

More points = color change / more machines folding under your name.

More machines = 1 step closer to finding cures.

:attn:
Fold On !

[David]

More points = color change / more machines folding under your name.

More machines = 1 step closer to finding cures.

:attn:
Fold On !


That's on the stats, silly :P

JoeTeck - see the bit that THF posted above - it has the senior criteria.

[Joeteck]

That's on the stats, silly :P

JoeTeck - see the bit that THF posted above - it has the senior criteria.


I know I'm off topic, could you PM me on what denotes a senior member?

[WarriorII]

What denotes a Senior Member......

Rude, Crude, "Blued" & Tatoo'd. :D

It's a Honor bestowed upon certain members
that are voted into becoming a Senior Member.

It takes years of being around the Forums and being as helpfull as possible.

or is it the walking on water that we do? :shrug:




Oh, I finally found the Folding Flier that I made up, or one of them actually.

[TollhouseFrank]

What denotes a Senior Member......

Rude, Crude, "Blued" & Tatoo'd. :D

It's a Honor bestowed upon certain members
that are voted into becoming a Senior Member.

It takes years of being around the Forums and being as helpfull as possible.

or is it the walking on water that we do? :shrug:



Must be the walking on water! :santa:

If it was based on "Years" tenure, I wouldn't be a Senior. Took~6 months of time here and I was asked if i wanted the honor... Believe it or not... I declined. I personally felt that I shouldnt get the honor till i'd been here a year.

Around the time of my one year anniversary of me being here hit... I accepted the blues.

And... I've been a thorn in the sides of the mods/admins ever since.... :bday:

[David]

Captain Slug has done some pretty hot graphics for the site.

So we should have it up soon ...

[sno.lcn]

I just saw on facebook I can advertise. I think it shows up on everyone's profile page. It says I can have it distributed 10,000 times for $5 and I can pick which schools it goes to. Would it be okay with everyone if I gave this a shot once school starts back up? Also, they have a facebook folding team (# 51000-simething), and I've been on there trying hard to get everyone to switch over to team 32.

*Edit: I just had a really cool idea and hopefully it'll work pretty well.

[mdcomp]

Shameless plug:
http://www.ocforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=132

Let's pool our resources, that's a start.

And...I'm sure you all have some old parts lying around, donate them to our garage sale...we'll use the money to get more rigs going!
http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=471312

Fold on.
:beer:

Matt