Why Do You Fold@Home?

Mainly for my own curious nature. Please answer all the questions, if possible.

1. Why do you folks use the Fold@Home client?
2. What is your purpose in doing so?
3. Is it to really help with the project or for self-gratification?
4. Do you feel this project is truly worthwhile or doing it just for grins?
5. Does Stanford really need all this help when they have some of the most powerful computing systems in the USA?

Just my two-cents here and plus I'm am stirring the proverbial pot.

Being a part of something bigger.
Hope, hoping for a better future.

Whether we think we are helping others or seeking gratitude, It doesn't really matter why we do it.

Allowing people to do work for them saves them time and money in the long run. Standford does have huge computers for this cause. At the same time they are allowing the public to join in and help.

• For every person that joins in and helps:
  • It's that much wear and tear on their servers they didn't experience.
  • It's that much electricity they don't have to pay for.

I'm pretty sure Stanford is working under a budget. As much as people think they could operate more efficient under donations, Donations are not a guarantee every month. I'm pretty sure Stanford is working their servers under a budget and are very grateful for every WU that is donated to them. As far as why people fold, without hope there really is not any need in doing anything much less folding@home.

I only fold@home when the towels are dry
But I do know it is set up as a competition on purpose; kind of how Tom Sawyer gets other kids to paint the fence for him by making them think it's fun.

Tom Sawyer and whitewashing the back fence. LOL! Great analogy for sure.

I have messed with this F@H a few times, but it kept causing issues on my system and that was ticking me off so I keep removing it. GPU excessively hot, BSODs and other things.

I suppose if I was rich, I could build a dedicated computer to do just this, but I'm not so sure for now, until the group at Stanford develops better quality and stable clients.

Well supposedly it is to help people, not just get ole Tom out of work.

I knew that, maybe it's to develop the next "Andromeda Strain" of nasty virus to wipe out the Earth's population... JK!!

Yeah maybe, one from cyberspace instead of outer space.

1-Because it's there and I chose not to help with the SETI project at WCG.

2-My purpose is to help find cures for diseases just as the project purports to do. Some of these diseases afflict my immediate family members. If none of my completed WU's help find cures then that's okay. But they might. If I never
fold another WU for w7forums, be assured that I will continue to fold.

3-Both

4-I really feel this project is worthwhile. Grins have nothing to do with it (for me).

5-Who knows.

One of several good things to come from this for me is that, with the help of someone I respect, I built my first computer last summer. So I'm learning something too.

1. Why do you folks use the Fold@Home client?

I like to feel that I am helping humanity in some small way.

1. What is your purpose in doing so?

Much like my answer above, add to that several family members as well as myself with health issues that F@H is looking to help solve

1. Is it to really help with the project or for self-gratification?

See my answer above

1. Do you feel this project is truly worthwhile or doing it just for grins?

I do feel it is worthwhile, I have my computer on all night anyway so whay not use the unused processing power for a possible good use. I also think we have a better chance of finding cures than finding "aliens" out there.

1. Does Stanford really need all this help when they have some of the most powerful computing systems in the USA?

Every drop helps fill a bucket / many hands make light work.

Thanks go out to Cliff, Yodap, Draceena, TM and any other future responses.

It was good to see the answers and such. Helps me to ponder certain things.

Keep 'em comin' folks!