Hey guys

Am I supposed to be ON the computer, constantly watching the screen while I am using this program? Or can I just leave it on while I'm going to sleep? What will happen if there is a high frequency sound? Will it automatically be sent to the lab? or will I have to do something about it, which is why I would have to be listening to this the whole time?

My teacher just told me about this (I'm around 14, but I am still very interested in extra terrestrial life and astronomy) but he didn't go into any detail about it.

My teacher also told me that I was supposed to plug in head phones so I can hear the sound while I am doing whatever on the computer so I don't have to look at the status of it, am I correct? I can just listen to it?

I'm sorry I'm asking to many questions, I am just very uneducated as to how this all works.

We don't listen for sounds here at Seti. The sounds in a task would be somewhat like tuning a radio in between stations on the mid-wave band. Lots of static and white noise. I think you better listen to good music. ;-)

In the mean time, you and your teacher better read up on How SETI@home works. The explanation and graphics are about the old Seti Classic program, but the information is still the same even with Seti under BOINC.

And no, you don't have to sit behind the keyboard all the time.
You don't have to leave the computer running all the time either, if that bothers you (while trying to sleep).

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Old participants do not look at the screen saver graphic (well - some look from time to time - e.g. once in a month)

The screen saver is not needed - the computations (searching for signals) go all the time in the background while the computer is ON.

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- ALF - "Find out what you don't do well ..... then don't do it!" :)
 

the computations (searching for signals) go all the time in the background while the computer is ON.

That's only true when:

1. BOINC is actually running.
2. The user isn't active and he has set his preferences up so BOINC is only allowed to let the science applications run when the computer is otherwise idle (hands off the mouse and keyboard).
3. The user is active, but set his preferences up so BOINC can always run the science applications. Still, BOINC needs to be on then, not just the computer... :-)

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I use to reply to "New members" the simplest way possible

So I believe he is using the defaults:
1. BOINC (BOINC.exe) is running (auto started with Windows)
3. BOINC can always run the science applications (in this case SETI)

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- ALF - "Find out what you don't do well ..... then don't do it!" :)