The Four Big Folding Sins

The Four Ways an Honest Folder Can Go Wrong with Folding@Home:

1) Post up clients or Work Units on the net, for others to download and fold.

This is a violation of Stanford’s license and EULA with you. It also invalidates any work units that are returned, because the audit trail is broken. If it’s extensive, the project will have to be redone.

2) Store completed, not yet returned work units, for any reason.

Oooh! Makes Stanford livid! Dutch Power Cows and a SE Asian team did a little of this, some years back. Just a little, but you should have seen Stanford’s hackles go up, up, up!

F@H is entirely time-sensitive – Stanford needs those completed work units back ASAP.

3) “Cherry pick” work units, so you fold only the ones you like.

Changing F@H clients for better PPD (Points Per Day) is fine, but don’t delete any type of work units your client’s server assigns to you. For example, I want more points, so I change from the classic one core client, to the SMP client – that’s what Stanford wants you to do. Now fold whatever SMP work units you are assigned.

However you do it, and however you rationalize it, Stanford has had trouble with folders who “Cherry Pick” their work units, and has programmed the servers to help prevent it.

This is a sore spot with Stanford F@H. You don’t want to go there.

4) Fold on computers you don’t have permission to fold on.

May constitute theft of computer services, and tarnishes the good name of Folding at Home. We’ve had one member lose his job over this, despite verbal permission. Get a written OK if it’s not your system.

For any of the above, your points may be zeroed out by Stanford.

Originally posted by Adak, in this thread.