Interest falling away

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Message 728429 - Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 0:56:11 UTC - in response to Message 728382.  

If this fall off is an annual event, like geese flying north, then what brings people back, we should be asking. Surely not food. If the motivation to return to SAH isn't there and understood, then the project is at risk. At 1-2% per month loss of participants, the more agressive next-phase of seti is going to fall flat, I fear.

The reason I looked for this graph is that I saw on the SAH homepage, boring as it is, that stale notice via a Berkeley news release soliciting more users. I guess it didn't work!

I am in the camp that the project is not attractive if people can't see progress. Progress could be a quarterly report posted somewhere, which would be keen! Or, it could be as simple as a chart of our progress against a concrete goal. Or, any one of a number of other ideas that show that we are not dead.

The global warming argument is ridiculous; but the escalating cost of electricity may not be. Yet, when it comes down to it, seti only costs me a couple of pints each month in beer-equivalent currency. 'Rational'/analytical people are not likely to turn off seti over a couple of beers.


I would say that the project is not in danger of not having enough participants.......
Over the last few months, they seem to have just lately gotten the server situation stable enough to be able to supply work on a continuous basis (most of the time) to those who are involved......
And if you are looking at a few percent reduction in the total number of participants.......I am quite sure that reduction has been far offset in the increased crunching capacity of those who have recently joined or existing users who have upgraded their computing power........

"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

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Message 728454 - Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 2:02:05 UTC - in response to Message 728382.  
Last modified: 21 Mar 2008, 2:02:50 UTC


The global warming argument is ridiculous; but the escalating cost of electricity may not be. Yet, when it comes down to it, seti only costs me a couple of pints each month in beer-equivalent currency. 'Rational'/analytical people are not likely to turn off seti over a couple of beers.



Well, for me it's more than a few pints. Two bills ago, my electric was $234, I turned off a couple of systems for the last couple of weeks of the latest bill, and it went down to $192. That's at least a couple of cases of Harpoon IPA! And I expect if I leave the machines off for a full month, it could be three cases!

-Dave

[Edit] Then again, I may not be entirely rational...
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Message 728475 - Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 2:43:58 UTC - in response to Message 728265.  

PhonAcq:

That graph is very misleading. The reason it goes down is because it graphs credit "granted". Well, we all know that there is significant lag in granted credit here at SETI because of the slow validation by design. Look at the same graph for the entire year of 2007 and see what you find.
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Message 728477 - Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 2:47:54 UTC - in response to Message 728454.  


[Edit] Then again, I may not be entirely rational...


Rational people prefer a good bourbon, whiskey, tequila, rum, gin, or vodka (or combination thereof)...
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Message 728486 - Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 3:08:34 UTC

My pending also climbed to over 2,000 cobblestones and my oldest pending is from January 9th. This was reissued, but I think the second wingperson is also awol. One of the otherwing person only participated for three days and I have to wait on them with regards to two results.
I am all for a Boinc/Seti trial period, as suggested in other threads, that limits the downloads of WUs. Maybe Eric can post something in the help wanted ads to see, if someone is willing to write a scipt for this.
My skills in this area are most likely to outdated.
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Message 728501 - Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 3:32:34 UTC
Last modified: 21 Mar 2008, 3:35:46 UTC

What paper has been written in any publication documenting the results of all this crunching from our folks here at Berkley? Heck, forget about any publication, how about here?

If there are any, I would interested in reading them.

edit - my interest isn't falling, it fell.
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Message 728505 - Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 3:35:51 UTC - in response to Message 728501.  

What paper has been written in any publication documenting the results of all this crunching from our folks here at Berkley? Heck, forget about any publication, how about here?

If there are any, I would interested in reading them.

Uhh......How about these stats?
"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

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Message 728508 - Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 3:40:30 UTC - in response to Message 728505.  

What paper has been written in any publication documenting the results of all this crunching from our folks here at Berkley? Heck, forget about any publication, how about here?

If there are any, I would interested in reading them.

Uhh......How about these stats?


That's not what I'm referring to. I'm speaking to results of all this information they have been gathering for xx years.

What have they learned from it? What can they share?

I know they haven't found ET, or if they have they're not telling, lol.

What other benefits have been realized from this research outside of finding ET?

They have sooooooooooooooo much information from years and years of data and what has been the positive result of it? I'm sure there is but what is it?


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Message 728524 - Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 3:51:13 UTC - in response to Message 728477.  


[Edit] Then again, I may not be entirely rational...


Rational people prefer a good bourbon, whiskey, tequila, rum, gin, or vodka (or combination thereof)...


Well, I enjoy a good whiskey now and again, of the Scots variety... usually Lagavulin, or on a cold winter night, maybe Laphroaig.

-Dave
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Message 728526 - Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 3:51:25 UTC

Hopefully with the Super Host idea we may be able to attract more corporates. See here for details.

I for one would like to see some form of feedback as suggested, maybe the quarterly report of signals to re-investigate, or points of interest. Sure its overhead for the staff but given its a long running project it helps to keep the interest.

I also think the idea of limiting the newbies for a while has some merit, but then if we didn't tinker we wouldn't understand how it works :-)
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Message 728528 - Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 3:53:48 UTC - in response to Message 728526.  

Hopefully with the Super Host idea we may be able to attract more corporates. See here for details.

I for one would like to see some form of feedback as suggested, maybe the quarterly report of signals to re-investigate, or points of interest. Sure its overhead for the staff but given its a long running project it helps to keep the interest.

I also think the idea of limiting the newbies for a while has some merit, but then if we didn't tinker we wouldn't understand how it works :-)

It' all just BS as far as some are concerned.......
If the basic concept doesn't interest you, you will not do it......
"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

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Message 728530 - Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 3:56:15 UTC - in response to Message 728508.  
Last modified: 21 Mar 2008, 4:02:52 UTC

What paper has been written in any publication documenting the results of all this crunching from our folks here at Berkley? Heck, forget about any publication, how about here?

If there are any, I would interested in reading them.

Uhh......How about these stats?


That's not what I'm referring to. I'm speaking to results of all this information they have been gathering for xx years.

What have they learned from it? What can they share?

I know they haven't found ET, or if they have they're not telling, lol.

What other benefits have been realized from this research outside of finding ET?

They have sooooooooooooooo much information from years and years of data and what has been the positive result of it? I'm sure there is but what is it?



Carl Sagan and Arthur C. Clarke will never know it... (this note is in their rememberance)
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Message 728534 - Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 4:03:44 UTC - in response to Message 728530.  
Last modified: 21 Mar 2008, 4:04:34 UTC

What paper has been written in any publication documenting the results of all this crunching from our folks here at Berkley? Heck, forget about any publication, how about here?

If there are any, I would interested in reading them.

Uhh......How about these stats?


That's not what I'm referring to. I'm speaking to results of all this information they have been gathering for xx years.

What have they learned from it? What can they share?

I know they haven't found ET, or if they have they're not telling, lol.

What other benefits have been realized from this research outside of finding ET?

They have sooooooooooooooo much information from years and years of data and what has been the positive result of it? I'm sure there is but what is it?



Carl Sagan and Arthur C. Clarck will never know it... (that note is in their rememberance)


I agree Logan.

Why can't someone share the information they've gathered.

We get daily updates about this, that and the other thing, about this server, this backup, this whatever, but nothing about what this project is really about and the side benefits of it.

And they wonder why they can't get grant money.
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Message 728551 - Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 4:45:12 UTC - in response to Message 728534.  

Why can't someone share the information they've gathered.


They do. Try reading the The Planetary Society reports. S@H started with help from the Planetary Society and still gets some money from them. The link I gave is just one update from earlier this year. It gives other links that provide additional information.

The bottom line is that we have not found any alien signals. What we have done is created a tool that is now solving other more down to earth problems. Look at the list of other projects. We have fostered the search for cures to cancer, aids, and other human ills. We are searching for the origins of our own existence. We are solving mathematical problems that have eluded humanity since the use of the first abacus. Will we ever find intelligent life in space? I sure don't know. However, we are finding greater intelligence here at home. In my humble way, I support the search.

May haps we are being monitored by greater intelligence who are waiting for us to evolve beyond the petty bickering that has repeatedly lead us to bloodshed and violence. I believe that there is intelligent life that exists beyond our current perceptive limitations. Therefore, I will continue the search and while doing so work at enhancing the world I know. The discovery of extra terrestrial intelligence could be a great boon to humanity. But the search it’s self has also prove to be one also.

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Message 728553 - Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 4:51:16 UTC - in response to Message 728551.  
Last modified: 21 Mar 2008, 4:55:16 UTC

Why can't someone share the information they've gathered.


They do. Try reading the The Planetary Society reports. S@H started with help from the Planetary Society and still gets some money from them. The link I gave is just one update from earlier this year. It gives other links that provide additional information.

The bottom line is that we have not found any alien signals. What we have done is created a tool that is now solving other more down to earth problems. Look at the list of other projects. We have fostered the search for cures to cancer, aids, and other human ills. We are searching for the origins of our own existence. We are solving mathematical problems that have eluded humanity since the use of the first abacus. Will we ever find intelligent life in space? I sure don't know. However, we are finding greater intelligence here at home. In my humble way, I support the search.

May haps we are being monitored by greater intelligence who are waiting for us to evolve beyond the petty bickering that has repeatedly lead us to bloodshed and violence. I believe that there is intelligent life that exists beyond our current perceptive limitations. Therefore, I will continue the search and while doing so work at enhancing the world I know. The discovery of extra terrestrial intelligence could be a great boon to humanity. But the search it’s self has also prove to be one also.

I agree with you Carlos in all of your points....

But the thread is about why people lose interest in this project ...
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Message 728558 - Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 5:05:25 UTC
Last modified: 21 Mar 2008, 5:07:56 UTC

I am growing more and more discouraged by the total lack of information flowing out of Berkeley on this project. Matt is the only person to let us know anything and that is basically how his day went. No scientific information concerning the Seti project......no nothing. I hate to say it but crunching for credits does not have the same appeal it did in 2002 when Boinc started. I need something more and it looks like nothing is forthcoming from Seti.

This group in Berkeley can't even repair a web page bug that's been here for 6 weeks or more. That's the kind of interest they have in the project!
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Message 728563 - Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 5:39:13 UTC - in response to Message 728558.  


This group in Berkeley can't even repair a web page bug that's been here for 6 weeks or more. That's the kind of interest they have in the project!


It is a BOINC issue, not a SETI-specific issue... Any project that implements the newer BOINC forum code will have the problem.
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Message 728566 - Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 5:50:27 UTC

Geek, I agree with you, BUT in order to answer to ET we have to have patience.
Pluto will always be a planet to me.

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Message 728567 - Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 5:58:44 UTC - in response to Message 728566.  
Last modified: 21 Mar 2008, 6:02:20 UTC

Geek, I agree with you, BUT in order to answer to ET we have to have patience.


Like I would to say in another message (up), we are the rememberance of Arthur and Carl... We must to do our job!!! Found it...
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Message 728571 - Posted: 21 Mar 2008, 6:07:16 UTC
Last modified: 21 Mar 2008, 6:20:07 UTC

A generation have a great idea...

The next generation can make it real... (or 'make it better...' [like in beatles song])
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Message boards : Politics : Interest falling away


 
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