Yes, it's one of those threads again. Yes, many of you have seen them before, and yes, some of you will want to have a rant about the waste and futility. If you're that person who wants to rant, please, the 'back' button is up there ^^^
Edit - for the text wall phobics (sorry, was trying to be helpful and got a bit carried away
) - the potted version: We need you to join Rosetta@home to stop a team of pesky 'pirates' (mostly based in the US) giving us a bloody nose - again. Last time they invaded (literally) we sent them back to Davy Jones Locker. This time we might not be so lucky. You'll be helping not-for-profit medical research into the bargain.
OK, now that's over with, please read on...
What's this all about?
Members of OcUK's Rosetta@home team are asking you to consider joining the team.
Why do you need me?
Towards the end of last year, some pesky upstart Pirates got ideas well above their station and sent in a raiding party. The cheek! In true British tradition, we weren't prepared to stand for that, and despatched the whole lot of them to Davy Jones' Locker.
Now it seems they want revenge, and they've got backup. If we don't keep them out, they'll ransack our humble abode and make off with our pride.
To fend them off, we need to more than double the number of workunits we process. If we do nothing, we'll be overrun in about a week.
What do you need me to do?
Firstly, if you're already doing other distributing projects, thankyou, but we'd like you to stop doing those for a while and join Rosetta@home.
If you have permission to install software on your PC(s), and you don't already have the BOINC software, then download and install the BOINC client. 64-bit Windows and Linux users, please make sure you use the 32-bit client - otherwise you may run into problems later.
When you've done that, you'll need to 'attach' to the Rosetta@home project and create an account there. If you're a first time user of BOINC, the software should guide you through this. Existing BOINC users will probably already know what to do.
Finally, and most importantly, access your account at the Rosetta@home website, and join the team called 'OcUK - Overclockers UK'. There are several teams with 'overclockers' in the name, so make sure you join the right one.
If you get stuck, please don't hesitate to pop over to OcUK's Distributed Computing forum for help.
What if I don't own the computer?
If you don't own the computer, and don't have permission to install software of your choosing on it, then seriously, DON'T. I can't stress this enough. It isn't nice, and if the computer is at your workplace, you could lose your job. Nobody wants that, especially with the current state of the job market.
Anyone else who shouldn't do this?
Yes. Bear in mind that Rosetta@home will try to use your system to its full potential. If the fans or other cooling solution in your computer aren't up to the job, you might cause some damage. This is, however, pretty unlikely with modern computers. You should think very carefully before running Rosetta@home on a laptop (it will get hot - possibly too hot). Also, if you don't have at least 2GB RAM on a quad-core system, or 1GB RAM on other systems, then Rosetta@home isn't for you.
Am I going to destroy the planet by doing this?
Calm down dear! Seriously, we'd all love you to leave your computer running Rosetta@home 24/7, but understand that the noise and electricity involved may well put you off doing that. That's fine and we won't complain (much). As long as your computer is already switched on for a few hours every day, you'll be able to contribute.
Bear in mind that with a typical (non-overclocked) desktop computer, the difference between running Rosetta@home and not is typically about 15-20W (about 30-40W for a quad core or Pentium 4 CPU). You could save that much by replacing one frequently used incandescent light bulb with an energy saver, or unplugging phone chargers and other devices (instead of leaving them in standby).
How long do you want me to do this for?
As long as you feel comfortable doing it. Some of us have been running distributed computing projects for a few weeks, and some for 10 years or more. It's up to you!
What else do I get for my contribution?
So, helping out your team-mates isn't enough? OK, no problem. You'll be helping with University-sponsored medical research into proteins. Proteins are a critical part of all life on our planet, and if our protiens 'go wrong', it can cause diseases such as Cancer and Alzheimer's, so, in a way, you'll be helping to find a cure for these blights on our society. If it's important to you (and it is to me), Rosetta@home is not-for-profit. If you want to know more, please go to the Rosetta@home website.
If you've read this far, thankyou. We (the Rosetta@home team members) hope you'll be able to help our quest to defend our honour against those scurvy-ridden Pirates!
As already mentioned, if you have any more questions, please post them this thread or pop over to OcUK's Distributed Computing forum.
PS - Mods, I know this would normally belong in the DC forum, but a recruiting drive wouldn't do much good there.
Edit - for the text wall phobics (sorry, was trying to be helpful and got a bit carried away
) - the potted version: We need you to join Rosetta@home to stop a team of pesky 'pirates' (mostly based in the US) giving us a bloody nose - again. Last time they invaded (literally) we sent them back to Davy Jones Locker. This time we might not be so lucky. You'll be helping not-for-profit medical research into the bargain.OK, now that's over with, please read on...
What's this all about?
Members of OcUK's Rosetta@home team are asking you to consider joining the team.
Why do you need me?
Towards the end of last year, some pesky upstart Pirates got ideas well above their station and sent in a raiding party. The cheek! In true British tradition, we weren't prepared to stand for that, and despatched the whole lot of them to Davy Jones' Locker.
Now it seems they want revenge, and they've got backup. If we don't keep them out, they'll ransack our humble abode and make off with our pride.
To fend them off, we need to more than double the number of workunits we process. If we do nothing, we'll be overrun in about a week.
What do you need me to do?
Firstly, if you're already doing other distributing projects, thankyou, but we'd like you to stop doing those for a while and join Rosetta@home.
If you have permission to install software on your PC(s), and you don't already have the BOINC software, then download and install the BOINC client. 64-bit Windows and Linux users, please make sure you use the 32-bit client - otherwise you may run into problems later.
When you've done that, you'll need to 'attach' to the Rosetta@home project and create an account there. If you're a first time user of BOINC, the software should guide you through this. Existing BOINC users will probably already know what to do.
Finally, and most importantly, access your account at the Rosetta@home website, and join the team called 'OcUK - Overclockers UK'. There are several teams with 'overclockers' in the name, so make sure you join the right one.
If you get stuck, please don't hesitate to pop over to OcUK's Distributed Computing forum for help.
What if I don't own the computer?
If you don't own the computer, and don't have permission to install software of your choosing on it, then seriously, DON'T. I can't stress this enough. It isn't nice, and if the computer is at your workplace, you could lose your job. Nobody wants that, especially with the current state of the job market.
Anyone else who shouldn't do this?
Yes. Bear in mind that Rosetta@home will try to use your system to its full potential. If the fans or other cooling solution in your computer aren't up to the job, you might cause some damage. This is, however, pretty unlikely with modern computers. You should think very carefully before running Rosetta@home on a laptop (it will get hot - possibly too hot). Also, if you don't have at least 2GB RAM on a quad-core system, or 1GB RAM on other systems, then Rosetta@home isn't for you.
Am I going to destroy the planet by doing this?
Calm down dear! Seriously, we'd all love you to leave your computer running Rosetta@home 24/7, but understand that the noise and electricity involved may well put you off doing that. That's fine and we won't complain (much
). As long as your computer is already switched on for a few hours every day, you'll be able to contribute.Bear in mind that with a typical (non-overclocked) desktop computer, the difference between running Rosetta@home and not is typically about 15-20W (about 30-40W for a quad core or Pentium 4 CPU). You could save that much by replacing one frequently used incandescent light bulb with an energy saver, or unplugging phone chargers and other devices (instead of leaving them in standby).
How long do you want me to do this for?
As long as you feel comfortable doing it. Some of us have been running distributed computing projects for a few weeks, and some for 10 years or more. It's up to you!
What else do I get for my contribution?
So, helping out your team-mates isn't enough? OK, no problem. You'll be helping with University-sponsored medical research into proteins. Proteins are a critical part of all life on our planet, and if our protiens 'go wrong', it can cause diseases such as Cancer and Alzheimer's, so, in a way, you'll be helping to find a cure for these blights on our society. If it's important to you (and it is to me), Rosetta@home is not-for-profit. If you want to know more, please go to the Rosetta@home website.
If you've read this far, thankyou. We (the Rosetta@home team members) hope you'll be able to help our quest to defend our honour against those scurvy-ridden Pirates!
As already mentioned, if you have any more questions, please post them this thread or pop over to OcUK's Distributed Computing forum.
PS - Mods, I know this would normally belong in the DC forum, but a recruiting drive wouldn't do much good there.
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