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World Community Grid Forums
Category: Support
Forum: Suggestions / Feedback
Thread: Abandon Points System |
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Thread Status: Active Total posts in this thread: 31
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
They aren't good for anything other than "bragging rights" and even that is dubious.
----------------------------------------I've read what points supposedly represent and think it's BS. I have several computers running WCG. When I go and look at points calculations for each WU, I see other computers that take more time than mine to finish and get a lower point calculation than my computer. Then see the points averaged between the computers that finished them. So my computers end up getting fewer points by the "work done calculation." Points are irrelevant anyway. It is the science that is being done that is important. Therefore, it is the computer power that is being DONATED that is important. CPU hours and WU's completed are the true yardstick. The more WU's completed (successfully), the closer science gets to finding badly needed answers. I started doing this just a few years ago and participated in many projects. Now I have a friend dying of cancer. I'm not monitarily wealthy, but I have a few multi-core computers at my disposal and some do nothing else but crunch WU's all day long. And I've dedicated all that processing power to Help Conquer Cancer. The concept of awarding points is moot, so stop doing it. It only serves to create a bone of contention between users. Stop creating feelings of animosity among users. CGOS edit: spelling [Edit 1 times, last edit by Former Member at Feb 24, 2012 12:23:52 AM] |
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I need a bath
Senior Cruncher USA Joined: Apr 12, 2007 Post Count: 347 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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I'm sorry for your loss.
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astrolabe.
Senior Cruncher Joined: May 9, 2011 Post Count: 496 Status: Offline |
edit: spelling its always helpful when the experts weigh in on a subject |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
I agree with cgos.
If we get rid of the point-badge system, we can focus on the daily advance and time remaining to phase completion, and even better and without the points distraction. The distraction really does not fit well at all in a time-critical urgent scientific need. It's become a video game or something, where people stop their project at the whim of their game score To those of you power computers who reduced contributions to allow others like myself to earn video game points... thanks but no thanks, I have stopped/reduced contribution power in those myself! I would have had more pleasure to have seen you all quickly complete the project phase over allowing me to get points for another video badge. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
....carry that to its logical conclusion and abandon teams and user names with everything in one big pile.......I think NOT!!!!!!
One attraction is Bragging rights, it keeps a lot of folks happy and crunching! |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
There are actually various other possible logical conclusions.
Another better logical conclusion could be that the badge system could be kept for teams only, so the teams and only the teams would have a badge account. The individual computers could even be given the option to be their own team, and thereby allowing the video badge folks to keep their own badges if desired. |
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Mysteron347
Senior Cruncher Australia Joined: Apr 28, 2007 Post Count: 179 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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Some people measure success by their bank balances or their toys or how many people they get to tell what to do.
Personally, I see no point in amassing lists of prime numbers, or of trying to contact aliens. Clearly, others disagree. WCG doesn't rate highly on the points "payments" so there would be fewer points-chasers here than on better-paying projects. Increasing the payment rate may attract more crunch-power, even if the "rewards" are illusory. It would also lead to Boincflation as the other projects respond to win back their "fair share" of the point-chaser market. Eliminating points? Well, I for one take no notice of them. But to take that to the logical extreme, wouldn't one have to advocate the closure of all projects in which one has no interest? |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
The next client uses awarded total credit as a balances [did I not already write that in other post?]. Then the more other projects inflate their credit per unit of time, the more BOINC will assign computing time to WCG, to give it a chance to make up the difference. That's why points are good... it's the way the system works for millions. :D
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cjslman
Master Cruncher Mexico Joined: Nov 23, 2004 Post Count: 2082 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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cgos... your way of thinking is respected, but not everybody thinks the way you think. I agree, the points are virtual and are worthless (you can't go to your local supermart and exchange them for Kellogs cereal). But.... In my opinion, it gives you a sense of progress and competition comes natural to human beings.... and this is good for WCG: more competition, more crunching. And while we're on the "worthless" topics, might as well include the badges and the run time stats... both of which I also like. I personally like everything (points, run time, badges) the way it is.
----------------------------------------As for the "bone of contention between users", I have not seen this to be a problem in the forum. I have only seen healthy progress comparatives between forum users. CJSL |
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Richard Mitnick
Veteran Cruncher USA Joined: Feb 28, 2007 Post Count: 583 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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There have been a number of conferences on the subject of volunteer computing. At most of them, the motivations are discussed. Points, badges, all this stuff is seen to have value to most people.
----------------------------------------There are a veritable plethora of web sites which have grown up where people can see their results and measure their success against their peers. BOINCStats is apparently the favorite among many. But there are also BOINCSynergy, AllProjectStats, and others. For all of BOINC, there are currently 284,000 crunchers with results in the past 30 days. WCG has currently 92,000 crunchers active. According to those who study the Sociology of this wonderful phenomenon, there are "social" components and ramifications to be found in this work. So, points, credits, badges, all of it, has significance. |
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