Seti@home in danger

Author	Message
Airbuster Send message Joined: 22 Nov 05 Posts: 115 Credit: 1,342 RAC: 0	Message 288334 - Posted: 23 Apr 2006, 20:03:36 UTC It might be shut down due to lack of funds. Here's a link to a news article: http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2153950/seti-search-faces-shutdown ID: 288334 ·

BrainSmashR Send message Joined: 7 Apr 02 Posts: 1772 Credit: 384,573 RAC: 0	Message 288348 - Posted: 23 Apr 2006, 20:31:23 UTC Last modified: 23 Apr 2006, 20:34:50 UTC Again, I can't help but feel if this forum was not such a hostile enviroment that more users would contribute financially. I for one refuse to financially support a troll playground. It's time to buckle down and do something about users posting private information. About bashing newbies because they don't use the search function. About bashing users for posting threads under the wrong topic. The amount of time they have been with the project is irrelavent at this point because they cannot support the project on their own and they continue to drive users away on a daily basis. I'd hate to see SETI shutdown, but not nearly as much as I would enjoy the trolls losing their playground. ID: 288348 ·

BODLEY Volunteer tester Send message Joined: 12 Mar 02 Posts: 877 Credit: 125,351 RAC: 0	Message 288354 - Posted: 23 Apr 2006, 20:38:44 UTC - in response to Message 288348. Again, I can't help but feel if this forum was not such a hostile enviroment that more users would contribute financially. I for one refuse to financially support a troll playground. It's time to buckle down and do something about users posting private information. About bashing newbies because they don't use the search function. About bashing users for posting threads under the wrong topic. The amount of time they have been with the project is irrelavent at this point because they cannot support the project on their own and they continue to drive users away on a daily basis. I'd hate to see SETI shutdown, but not nearly as much as I would enjoy the trolls losing their playground. Trouble is, though ... they would just move on somewhere else ... What is required is VERY firm handling by the Mods ... with them BANNING persistent Trolls ... either for days, weeks or if necessary ... forever! IMHO ..... ID: 288354 ·

hammerstak Volunteer tester Send message Joined: 2 Mar 02 Posts: 200 Credit: 2,874,433 RAC: 0	Message 288373 - Posted: 23 Apr 2006, 20:57:50 UTC It just blows me away that there aren't any big companies willing to buy advertising space with SETI@Home, either on the web page, or within the graphics display. I for one, don't give a rat's ass about seeing ads on the site or graphics, I don't CARE because I'm in this for the science. If I had a choice between seeing S@H shut down due to lack of funding, or seeing it keep going with 99% of the graphics screen covered in ads, I'd choose the latter. And I think a lot of people are missing the big picture here. Something needs to be FIXED. That $750,000 they're trying to raise from us carries them through to the end of 2006. That's it! I highly doubt if they manage to raise the money they're looking for this year that they'll be able to do it again next year. This project will never run long-term off of user funds. It needs corporate funding, plain and simple. ID: 288373 ·

Fuzzy Hollynoodles Volunteer tester Send message Joined: 3 Apr 99 Posts: 9659 Credit: 251,998 RAC: 0	Message 288392 - Posted: 23 Apr 2006, 21:25:58 UTC - in response to Message 288334. Last modified: 23 Apr 2006, 21:28:37 UTC It might be shut down due to lack of funds. Here's a link to a news article: http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2153950/seti-search-faces-shutdown Yes, this is what we have been talking about for some time now. And the donations so far has only been 1/3 of what they need to keep the projects going. Maybe Matt doesn't have a job to return to, when he has finished his tour. :-( EDIT: sorry for the late response, I was doing something else, so I forgot to post this before leaving. "I'm trying to maintain a shred of dignity in this world." - Me ID: 288392 ·

Scary Capitalist Send message Joined: 21 May 01 Posts: 7404 Credit: 97,085 RAC: 0	Message 288418 - Posted: 23 Apr 2006, 22:33:12 UTC Well, they say they need the 750k to cover expenses for this year but has anyone heard what the actual deadline for raising it is? I assumed it would be toward the end of the year..... Founder of BOINC team Objectivists. Oh the humanity! Rational people crunching data! I did NOT authorize this belly writing! ID: 288418 ·

Fuzzy Hollynoodles Volunteer tester Send message Joined: 3 Apr 99 Posts: 9659 Credit: 251,998 RAC: 0	Message 288465 - Posted: 24 Apr 2006, 0:28:55 UTC - in response to Message 288418. Well, they say they need the 750k to cover expenses for this year but has anyone heard what the actual deadline for raising it is? I assumed it would be toward the end of the year..... No, I haven't heard about a deadline, I think it's as soon as possible. They really need the money for the hardware and for developing enhanced, plus the other projects. "I'm trying to maintain a shred of dignity in this world." - Me ID: 288465 ·

Keck_Komputers Volunteer tester Send message Joined: 4 Jul 99 Posts: 1575 Credit: 4,152,111 RAC: 1	Message 288524 - Posted: 24 Apr 2006, 3:39:22 UTC - in response to Message 288373. It just blows me away that there aren't any big companies willing to buy advertising space with SETI@Home, either on the web page, or within the graphics display. I for one, don't give a rat's ass about seeing ads on the site or graphics, I don't CARE because I'm in this for the science. If I had a choice between seeing S@H shut down due to lack of funding, or seeing it keep going with 99% of the graphics screen covered in ads, I'd choose the latter. And I think a lot of people are missing the big picture here. Something needs to be FIXED. That $750,000 they're trying to raise from us carries them through to the end of 2006. That's it! I highly doubt if they manage to raise the money they're looking for this year that they'll be able to do it again next year. This project will never run long-term off of user funds. It needs corporate funding, plain and simple. The new version of the graphics already has a settable background image and logo. The project could charge a fee to set these automatically if left at the default. Unfortunatly without some kind of payback like advertising there is a better chance of user funding meeting the needs of the project than corporate funding. BOINC WIKI BOINCing since 2002/12/8 ID: 288524 ·

BrainSmashR Send message Joined: 7 Apr 02 Posts: 1772 Credit: 384,573 RAC: 0	Message 288625 - Posted: 24 Apr 2006, 11:08:00 UTC Last modified: 24 Apr 2006, 11:14:27 UTC Corporate funding is almost out of the question with the forum in it's current state of anarchy. Just imagine someone wanting to donate $100,000 in return for ad space, but like a typical newbie, they fail to use the search function before making a post. The trolls would cost SETI that account before nightfall, and any future prospects associated with that individual. ID: 288625 ·

Zap de Ridder Volunteer tester Send message Joined: 9 Jan 00 Posts: 227 Credit: 1,468,844 RAC: 1	Message 288697 - Posted: 24 Apr 2006, 12:53:19 UTC Well they could aadress some power companies heaving extra revenues due to crunchers. For instance how about : SETI also spiced by American Electric Power or SETI also powered by Pacificorp. Mayby some companies in Europe to. :-) ID: 288697 ·

hammerstak Volunteer tester Send message Joined: 2 Mar 02 Posts: 200 Credit: 2,874,433 RAC: 0	Message 288965 - Posted: 25 Apr 2006, 1:03:41 UTC - in response to Message 288963. Lately I've been seriously thinking about quiting this. (after 7 long years of crunching) They're just begging for money and we don't find anything ETI. It's just a big waste of time Hmmmm....you don't HAVE to donate to participate, they're just asking for donations. And your suggestion that the fact they haven't found anything is a reason not to donate is absurd. Besides, if they found ETI, they wouldn't have any problems getting money now would they? ID: 288965 ·

Scary Capitalist Send message Joined: 21 May 01 Posts: 7404 Credit: 97,085 RAC: 0	Message 288971 - Posted: 25 Apr 2006, 1:07:59 UTC - in response to Message 288963. Lately I've been seriously thinking about quiting this. (after 7 long years of crunching) They're just begging for money and we don't find anything ETI. It's just a big waste of time Every non profit entity in the world has to get money from somewhere to operate, Crystallize. They either get money from individual donors (like us) or from companies or both. SETI@home has funded itself for years by donated money. The bottom line is that if they run out of money the project will shut down. Every project would shut down if they ran out of enough money to keep them going. Founder of BOINC team Objectivists. Oh the humanity! Rational people crunching data! I did NOT authorize this belly writing! ID: 288971 ·

kinhull Volunteer tester Send message Joined: 3 Oct 03 Posts: 1029 Credit: 636,475 RAC: 0	Message 289066 - Posted: 25 Apr 2006, 6:50:59 UTC - in response to Message 288963. Lately I've been seriously thinking about quiting this. (after 7 long years of crunching) They're just begging for money and we don't find anything ETI. It's just a big waste of time Perhaps we should stop looking for cures for currently incurable diseases, simply because they are still incurable? Join TeamACC Sometimes I think we are alone in the universe, and sometimes I think we are not. In either case the idea is quite staggering. ID: 289066 ·

FREEBIRD Send message Joined: 2 Mar 05 Posts: 1 Credit: 1,842 RAC: 0	Message 289080 - Posted: 25 Apr 2006, 8:39:47 UTC I never believe that there is no anything ETI in the space. It's just the problem of time. ID: 289080 ·

Chuck Send message Joined: 1 Dec 05 Posts: 511 Credit: 532,682 RAC: 0	Message 289220 - Posted: 25 Apr 2006, 15:17:10 UTC Well, what is it costing them to run these boards? Given what I've seen in here, they should be shut down! Some volunteer with alot of resources could run the board instead. Never Forget a Friend. Or an Enemy. ID: 289220 ·

Scary Capitalist Send message Joined: 21 May 01 Posts: 7404 Credit: 97,085 RAC: 0	Message 289260 - Posted: 25 Apr 2006, 22:19:10 UTC - in response to Message 289220. Well, what is it costing them to run these boards? Given what I've seen in here, they should be shut down! Some volunteer with alot of resources could run the board instead. How would this volunteer be getting the tapes from Arecibo again? Coordinating the new data collection from the new telescopes coming online? They'd have to have 16 arms and legs and be quite wealthy wouldn't you think? Founder of BOINC team Objectivists. Oh the humanity! Rational people crunching data! I did NOT authorize this belly writing! ID: 289260 ·

BrainSmashR Send message Joined: 7 Apr 02 Posts: 1772 Credit: 384,573 RAC: 0	Message 289288 - Posted: 25 Apr 2006, 23:41:05 UTC - in response to Message 289260. Well, what is it costing them to run these boards? Given what I've seen in here, they should be shut down! Some volunteer with alot of resources could run the board instead. How would this volunteer be getting the tapes from Arecibo again? Coordinating the new data collection from the new telescopes coming online? They'd have to have 16 arms and legs and be quite wealthy wouldn't you think? This forum doesn't have anything to do with the actual workings of SETI. It's nothing more than a place for people meet, share ideas, and be flamed by trolls with no life. However, webspace is not very expensive and shutting down the entire website wouldn't save enough money to covers SETI's costs. ID: 289288 ·

Airbuster Send message Joined: 22 Nov 05 Posts: 115 Credit: 1,342 RAC: 0	Message 289366 - Posted: 26 Apr 2006, 3:51:30 UTC - in response to Message 288963. Last modified: 26 Apr 2006, 3:54:49 UTC Lately I've been seriously thinking about quiting this. (after 7 long years of crunching) They're just begging for money and we don't find anything ETI. It's just a big waste of time I'd probably agree with you if SETI were condemned to just using the Arecibo dish part-time for a long time to come, but soon SETI will have its own set of recievers called the 'Allen Array'. This'll give the folks over at SETI the opportunity to do the kinds of scans that I really want to see done, which is why I hope they get the funding. Sure, SETI is far from perfect, being squeezed for cash (the Allen Array will improve it greatly) but they're the best chance we have at detecting ETs and clearly there are a lot of people working very hard on the project. Let's be grateful to them. I am! ID: 289366 ·

hammerstak Volunteer tester Send message Joined: 2 Mar 02 Posts: 200 Credit: 2,874,433 RAC: 0	Message 289493 - Posted: 26 Apr 2006, 8:19:01 UTC - in response to Message 289366. Lately I've been seriously thinking about quiting this. (after 7 long years of crunching) They're just begging for money and we don't find anything ETI. It's just a big waste of time I'd probably agree with you if SETI were condemned to just using the Arecibo dish part-time for a long time to come, but soon SETI will have its own set of recievers called the 'Allen Array'. This'll give the folks over at SETI the opportunity to do the kinds of scans that I really want to see done, which is why I hope they get the funding. Sure, SETI is far from perfect, being squeezed for cash (the Allen Array will improve it greatly) but they're the best chance we have at detecting ETs and clearly there are a lot of people working very hard on the project. Let's be grateful to them. I am! The Allen Telescope Array is an undertaking of The SETI Institute, not SETI@Home (they are two seperate and distinct things). The funding issue here doesn't really have anything to do with the ATA. That said, The SETI Insititue is also often strapped for cash..... ID: 289493 ·

Enigma Send message Joined: 15 Mar 06 Posts: 628 Credit: 21,606 RAC: 0	Message 289543 - Posted: 26 Apr 2006, 11:04:28 UTC - in response to Message 289493. Last modified: 26 Apr 2006, 11:23:37 UTC The Allen Telescope Array is an undertaking of The SETI Institute, not SETI@Home (they are two seperate and distinct things). The funding issue here doesn't really have anything to do with the ATA. That said, The SETI Insititue is also often strapped for cash..... JeffH, i think the point that Airbuster is making, is that SETI@HOME will be more effective when it has access to ATA because Key Science Goals of ATA Survey 1,000,000 stars for extraterrestrial signals with enough sensitivity to detect an Arecibo radar out to 300 pc within the range of 1 to 10 GHz Survey the 4Ãƒâ€”1010 stars of the inner Galactic Plane near the "magic" frequency of 1420 MHz for very powerful transmitters Allen Telescope Array Fact Sheet For me (personally) reasons not to donate include Inconsistent schedule for reobservation of Candidate Signals Long delays in analysis of reobservation results Reporting of reobservation results is quite poor with little or no detail Lack of follow up on inconsistencies in report findings Arguably the most important is "lack of air time" for adequate reobservation of candidates If i'm wrong on the above, please correct my misconceptions.... but from all the information i have gathered from seti.org and "The Planetary Society" the above issues are apparent and as yet unsolved. Belief gets in the way of learning ID: 289543 ·

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