• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Team + World: ~~~ AnandTech FAQ update project! ~~~ Done! ~~~

Page 3 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
WTG jliechty, now we can grade eachothers' papers 😉😉

I just discovered that D2OL's servers are on vacation for the weekend, by the way.
rolleye.gif
Guess their FAQ is going on the back burner until I can get the client some work. D2OL folks, should I take this as an opportunity to hold their heels to the fire? How about a line like this:

D2OL's servers have an unfortunate tendency to go down over weekends, which has resulted in unhappy participants who have seen this as a sign that Sengent's dedication to the D2OL project is less than that of the participants who volunteer their CPU time. Hopefully Sengent can identify the problem and take steps to ensure that their volunteers are not left hanging.
 
It looks depressingly negative.. then again, it's also depressingly true.. can't fault you for reporting the truth can we? 🙁
 
Originally posted by: Mardeth
Maybe yous should add to the D2OL something about DSpy.
Click to expand...
I found the DSpy homepage ok, but since I have no data to process, I'm sort of handicapped in using it and presenting it. What would you say are its major plusses for a D2OL participant...? 🙂
 
DF Feedback:

First off, I really like the FAQ.

Under the computer performance section can you toss in a link to dfDetect and say something along the lines of:

OLD STUFF Obviously, a program that uses up to 150Mb of RAM could cause you to run short of physical memory during gaming or other multi-tasking, but the solution is as simple as switching the client off, or reverting to the 25Mb setting. NEW STUFF To make it even simpler you can use Team Anandtech's own dfDetect utility, which can automatically shut down the client while you're gaming, and turn it back on when you're done.
 
Originally posted by: mechBgon
Originally posted by: Mardeth
Maybe yous should add to the D2OL something about DSpy.
Click to expand...
I found the DSpy homepage ok, but since I have no data to process, I'm sort of handicapped in using it and presenting it. What would you say are its major plusses for a D2OL participant...? 🙂
Click to expand...

Task List; Time to process candidates, ALT F to kill bad candidates (worth it for this alone); number of candidates to be uploaded (can't think why anyone would need to see this
rolleye.gif
); log file; best result (yes I know Sengent's web site is supposed to tell you this but my best candidates disappear after a few days 🙁 ).
Will this do ?
 
Thanks for the latest feedbacks! 🙂 I'm at work now, but I'll tackle the updates promptly when I get home! 😀 Hey, I still need some ECC2 folks to fill me in on the modem question (does it auto-dial, can it cache work or work offline, any other relevant info). Thanks all!! 🙂
 
Originally posted by: mechBgon
Thanks for the latest feedbacks! 🙂 I'm at work now, but I'll tackle the updates promptly when I get home! 😀 Hey, I still need some ECC2 folks to fill me in on the modem question (does it auto-dial, can it cache work or work offline, any other relevant info). Thanks all!! 🙂
Click to expand...

Did I say "promptly?" Sorry folks, got home very tired and had to sleep for a while, but I've added the feedbacks you gave. Looks like we're getting close here. Thanks again for the feedbacks! 🙂
 
In general: The approach of using a common template is a great idea. It allows potential users to compare apples to apples. Great idea! 🙂

D2OL: Very well done! Concerning the following paragraph:

Unfortunately, the D2OL servers are prone to going down and staying down, particularly over the weekends. Volunteers who go the extra mile and process on a 24/7 basis have been irritated to find that their clients frequently run out of work for this reason, and Sengent has still not managed to purge their system of this gremlin.
Click to expand...

As a recruitment tool, I'm not sure that highlighting the flaws of a project serves the recruitment effort very well. While it's true that there have been server problems for about half the weekends that I have been on the project, it's also true of other projects that server problems are a reality. Flaws in other projects include DF where protein changes require manual intervention or loss of work occurs, and rampant cheating in Seti@Home, neither of which are mentioned in the FAQs for either of those projects that I noticed. There are several of us that are very active in getting our shots in on the Sengent forum, but I think that we should either omit any negativity in the FAQs, or be honest about the dark side of each project also in the FAQ. To do otherwise basically drives people away from this project at a time when DPC is rallying its forces to try and regain #1 worldwide.

Excellent job by all! 🙂

Geoff

 
Originally posted by: GeoffS
In general: The approach of using a common template is a great idea. It allows potential users to compare apples to apples. Great idea! 🙂

D2OL: Very well done! Concerning the following paragraph:

Unfortunately, the D2OL servers are prone to going down and staying down, particularly over the weekends. Volunteers who go the extra mile and process on a 24/7 basis have been irritated to find that their clients frequently run out of work for this reason, and Sengent has still not managed to purge their system of this gremlin.
Click to expand...

As a recruitment tool, I'm not sure that highlighting the flaws of a project serves the recruitment effort very well. While it's true that there have been server problems for about half the weekends that I have been on the project, it's also true of other projects that server problems are a reality. Flaws in other projects include DF where protein changes require manual intervention or loss of work occurs, and rampant cheating in Seti@Home, neither of which are mentioned in the FAQs for either of those projects that I noticed. There are several of us that are very active in getting our shots in on the Sengent forum, but I think that we should either omit any negativity in the FAQs, or be honest about the dark side of each project also in the FAQ. To do otherwise basically drives people away from this project at a time when DPC is rallying its forces to try and regain #1 worldwide.

Excellent job by all! 🙂

Geoff
Click to expand...

If you think that's negative, you should've seen it in its original form 😉 I was hoping a gentle prod might wake Sengent up to the fact that we are expecting their commitment to this project to be at least as high as ours. They're the ones who stand to get rich if we volunteers find good drug molecules for them... is it that hard to SSH into the server and reset it on a weekend?

The other thing is, if AnandTech readers follow the instructions and end up with an idle client, like I did, it might help them to know that it will probably work if they give it another try on Monday (as it did for me). Simply leaving out the info in an attempt to candy-coat the project may be a bigger harm than help.

I'll go and see if I can figure out an even milder way of saying that the servers may not be online on the weekends... stay tuned. 😉

UPDATE: all right, I pulled my punches and put up RC2 for the D2OL FAQ. If you didn't see the previous version, go to my workbench page and you can compare the two.
 
LOL! I believe you... some of the things that I've had to say about their dedication to their own project would make a sailor blush! 😀 I think that if a TeAm mate found the queues running dry, they would as the question and one of the veterens would explain the situation and suggest either installing another DC project during the dry spell or horde a couple of hundred candidates for a rainy day 🙂

Thanks again, and thanks for the great work!

Geoff
 
Explanation spelled wrong in Folding@Home doc that says done.

Nice job from what I've read so far especially like the graphical examples built in.
 
Originally posted by: dmcowen674
Explanation spelled wrong in Folding@Home doc that says done.

Nice job from what I've read so far especially like the graphical examples built in.
Click to expand...

Roger that, I'll correct the spelling 😀 Yeah, I thought a couple graphics would help sweeten up the reading a bit too.

 
Originally posted by: mechBgon
Originally posted by: Mardeth
Maybe yous should add to the D2OL something about DSpy.
Click to expand...
I found the DSpy homepage ok, but since I have no data to process, I'm sort of handicapped in using it and presenting it. What would you say are its major plusses for a D2OL participant...? 🙂
Click to expand...

Well its has nice stats, some logs, you can see what disease you have in the queue (you know what I mean 🙂), hmm I dont know if its any good anymore but you can search bad canditates also. Im sure there are many more things you can do with it.

 
Thanks for the hard work Mech and thanks to Andy Hui too 😀

Does that mean your free to play UT now?😉
Btw I wonder if Virge has updated teamanandtech.com yet?
 
Originally posted by: Orange Kid
Very nice 🙂

And with your permission I'd like to add them to the site I have going


😎 😎
Click to expand...

I doubt it would raise any issues, but since I made these for the AnandTech FAQ at AndyHui's request, I've asked him to confirm that AnandTech is cool with that. I'm sure it will be fine, however. 🙂 Hopefully AndyHui gets clearance to edit up some sort of front-page blurb for us. If that happens, everyone have your running shoes on to help the newbies! 😀
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top