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And, the second of the two interviews for August 2011 - R-Type
Another long time folder......
Give a round of thanks to one of our dedicated [H]orde.
First off, tell us about you.
Where do you call home?
I currently live in Seattle, WA but I am originally from north of Syracuse, NY. I've also lived in MD, SC, and KY but Seattle is my favorite so far. It takes a bit to acclimate to the weather and cordially distant culture but it is a truly great place to be.
What is your family situation?
I have a beautiful fiancée and will be married next fall.
What do you do for a living?
I work in the aerospace electronics industry managing new product development.
Does your forum name hold any significant meaning?
I've gone by this handle since about 2002. My first name begins with 'R' and I originally went with 'Type R' but changed it to avoid the blinged out street racer connotation. R-Type also happens to be one of my favorite games of all time so the connection works well.
Did you ever post in the "Let's see your mug... " thread? Why or why not?
No, I didn't know there was such a thread. Here's mine, better late than never.
What other hobbies or interests keep you busy?
Tweaking out custom systems and case modifications is easily my favorite hobby. It doesn't take a ton of effort to just build a system, but to really match all the components' physical and performance characteristics in such a way that you create an elegant and balanced system takes much more thought and coordination. Of particular draw are projects that push the boundaries due to form factor, cooling requirements etc. Complementing this is a penchant for overclocking and fiddling with hardware that only seems to grow stronger as time goes on. Exploring the voltage/frequency curves of your components, unlocking or adding new features through hacked firmware, and generally just making hardware perform beyond the intended performance level is hugely alluring.
Outside of PC's I enjoy working on cars (current dd is an S2000), home improvement projects, and beer.
Tell us about your involvement in DC.
The only DC project I have really gotten involved with is F@H. I'm currently in the top 20 and try to stay involved with and help the team as much as possible.
Who or what got you stated in DC projects? About when was it?
I started folding in November of last year in an attempt to heat my place during the mild Seattle winter without resorting to the electric heat we have. I figured if I was going to use electricity to heat the apartment, it damn well better be doing something useful first.
Why do you participate?
After I started folding, I learned much more about the project and the research that was being pursued. One of the guiding principals in my life is to constantly push the boundaries and improve our understanding in every area I'm involved. This seems to me the only way for us to have a meaningful impact in what would otherwise be an ultimately futile existence. Folding represents an opportunity to be part of such a push occurring on a much greater scale than I could ever dream of on my own and I am confident the breakthroughs we find will have positive effects for humanity.
If DC'ing could find a cure for just one disease tomorrow, which one would it be and why?
Alzheimer's. F@H is exploring the mechanisms behind several extremely terrible physical afflictions and that research is hugely important but Alzheimer's stands out as my biggest personal target. The thought of losing your mental faculty, of losing your memories of those that love you, of losing yourself, is one of the most deeply troubling fates that I can imagine.
What projects have you contributed to? Any others you find interesting?
If not for F@H, I would likely participate in WCG.
What teams have you contributed to?
I am a faithful member of the [H]orde and don't see myself leaving.
Why did you choose the Horde?
A buddy who I used to run a podcast with (f1lter) turned me onto the [H]ardforum in 2005. Since then I have used the forum consistently and found it to be a great resource. When I decided to start folding it was a no brainer to visit the section of the board I already used. Once I started folding I became hooked by our team's special mix of friendly competition, irreverent humor, and strong camaraderie. On this team you actually get to know your teammates (especially if you're on IRC!).
If your current project ends, which one will you move on to?
I would probably take stock of the direction the rest of the team took. I believe if F@H were to end tomorrow, the [H]orde would collectively move as an entity to another worthwhile endeavor.
Current level of production and how's it spread around?
Current theoretical max ppd is a bit north of 400k from 5 bigadv clients, 3 of which are big-bigadv capable.
Where do you see the [H]ard DC sub-forum in the near future?
The team has been on an impressive ramp up over the last couple of months, I expect that to continue trending upward at a lower rate until the next gen architectures hit and we surge again. We have also been growing our membership base as several of the most hardcore folders move to team 33 when they discover they fit in best with our patently insane top producers. We truly are the [H]ardest of the [H]ard and I don't see that changing any time soon.
Long term?
Long term prospects are similar, organic growth through ramp ups and new hardware combined with acquisitions of new team members.
One thing that is uncertain for the future is what the project mix will look like. There has been some outspoken concerns with the decisions of the Pande group with regard to F@H and these have disillusioned some of our most long running members to the point that they left the project. I am hopeful however that with our renewed presence on the DAB and Beta team will allow us to help prevent such jarring disruptions in the future.
Any ideas on improving the [H]ard DC sub-forum, or suggestions or improvements for our Team?
I believe we need a couple of new moderators elected from within the DC ranks. This sub-forum is truly its own beast and we need the ability for active self regulation.
I would also like to see more of the team on IRC, that's a great place to get to know your teammates, give and receive help, and discuss off topic things not suitable for the forum.
Tell us about your involvement.
Where did you begin?
Eight months and counting as a folder. I am also active on IRC helping other members with builds and hardware questions or anything else I can assist with. This of course comes back to haunt them when I have to do anything in linux and come running for help.
What are you running today?
I have a dual hex SR-2 at 3.5ghz, a dual hex htpc at 2.66ghz, a single G34 dodeca at 3.2ghz, and two 2600k's at 4.6ghz. In the winter I also fire up 3x GTX 470's.
Where do you see your DC'ing activities in the next year or two?
My farm is just about at capacity and I can't add anything more without tripping breakers with troubling frequency. I will likely maintain at the 4-5 boxen level and upgrade individual machines where it makes sense.
In order to satisfy my intrinsic need to build machines, I will be working on several borg builds for close friends over the coming months.
Do these boxen have day jobs or are they dedicated folders?
The two 2600k's are gaming machines, the dual 2.66 hex rig is an HTPC, and the SR-2 is going to become a hackintosh within the next month or so. At that point only the dodeca will be dedicated but I'll probably give it some hard drives and make it a server in order to justify its existence.
How are these boxen configured? OS, client, etc?
The two 2600k's run windows 7, the HTPC is windows 7 with a linux VM, the SR-2 is currently gentoo but will be OS X with a linux VM, and the dodeca is ubuntu.
Have you been successful borging? If so, what kind of borging worked for you? (For example, friends, family, and/or work?)
I have plans and permission to but haven't yet gotten anything online. My approach is similar to Kendrak's, sell friends a system you foraged together at cost with free 'tech support' if they keep it folding.
Another long time folder......
Give a round of thanks to one of our dedicated [H]orde.
First off, tell us about you.
Where do you call home?
I currently live in Seattle, WA but I am originally from north of Syracuse, NY. I've also lived in MD, SC, and KY but Seattle is my favorite so far. It takes a bit to acclimate to the weather and cordially distant culture but it is a truly great place to be.
What is your family situation?
I have a beautiful fiancée and will be married next fall.
What do you do for a living?
I work in the aerospace electronics industry managing new product development.
Does your forum name hold any significant meaning?
I've gone by this handle since about 2002. My first name begins with 'R' and I originally went with 'Type R' but changed it to avoid the blinged out street racer connotation. R-Type also happens to be one of my favorite games of all time so the connection works well.
Did you ever post in the "Let's see your mug... " thread? Why or why not?
No, I didn't know there was such a thread. Here's mine, better late than never.
What other hobbies or interests keep you busy?
Tweaking out custom systems and case modifications is easily my favorite hobby. It doesn't take a ton of effort to just build a system, but to really match all the components' physical and performance characteristics in such a way that you create an elegant and balanced system takes much more thought and coordination. Of particular draw are projects that push the boundaries due to form factor, cooling requirements etc. Complementing this is a penchant for overclocking and fiddling with hardware that only seems to grow stronger as time goes on. Exploring the voltage/frequency curves of your components, unlocking or adding new features through hacked firmware, and generally just making hardware perform beyond the intended performance level is hugely alluring.
Outside of PC's I enjoy working on cars (current dd is an S2000), home improvement projects, and beer.
Tell us about your involvement in DC.
The only DC project I have really gotten involved with is F@H. I'm currently in the top 20 and try to stay involved with and help the team as much as possible.
Who or what got you stated in DC projects? About when was it?
I started folding in November of last year in an attempt to heat my place during the mild Seattle winter without resorting to the electric heat we have. I figured if I was going to use electricity to heat the apartment, it damn well better be doing something useful first.
Why do you participate?
After I started folding, I learned much more about the project and the research that was being pursued. One of the guiding principals in my life is to constantly push the boundaries and improve our understanding in every area I'm involved. This seems to me the only way for us to have a meaningful impact in what would otherwise be an ultimately futile existence. Folding represents an opportunity to be part of such a push occurring on a much greater scale than I could ever dream of on my own and I am confident the breakthroughs we find will have positive effects for humanity.
If DC'ing could find a cure for just one disease tomorrow, which one would it be and why?
Alzheimer's. F@H is exploring the mechanisms behind several extremely terrible physical afflictions and that research is hugely important but Alzheimer's stands out as my biggest personal target. The thought of losing your mental faculty, of losing your memories of those that love you, of losing yourself, is one of the most deeply troubling fates that I can imagine.
What projects have you contributed to? Any others you find interesting?
If not for F@H, I would likely participate in WCG.
What teams have you contributed to?
I am a faithful member of the [H]orde and don't see myself leaving.
Why did you choose the Horde?
A buddy who I used to run a podcast with (f1lter) turned me onto the [H]ardforum in 2005. Since then I have used the forum consistently and found it to be a great resource. When I decided to start folding it was a no brainer to visit the section of the board I already used. Once I started folding I became hooked by our team's special mix of friendly competition, irreverent humor, and strong camaraderie. On this team you actually get to know your teammates (especially if you're on IRC!).
If your current project ends, which one will you move on to?
I would probably take stock of the direction the rest of the team took. I believe if F@H were to end tomorrow, the [H]orde would collectively move as an entity to another worthwhile endeavor.
Current level of production and how's it spread around?
Current theoretical max ppd is a bit north of 400k from 5 bigadv clients, 3 of which are big-bigadv capable.
Where do you see the [H]ard DC sub-forum in the near future?
The team has been on an impressive ramp up over the last couple of months, I expect that to continue trending upward at a lower rate until the next gen architectures hit and we surge again. We have also been growing our membership base as several of the most hardcore folders move to team 33 when they discover they fit in best with our patently insane top producers. We truly are the [H]ardest of the [H]ard and I don't see that changing any time soon.
Long term?
Long term prospects are similar, organic growth through ramp ups and new hardware combined with acquisitions of new team members.
One thing that is uncertain for the future is what the project mix will look like. There has been some outspoken concerns with the decisions of the Pande group with regard to F@H and these have disillusioned some of our most long running members to the point that they left the project. I am hopeful however that with our renewed presence on the DAB and Beta team will allow us to help prevent such jarring disruptions in the future.
Any ideas on improving the [H]ard DC sub-forum, or suggestions or improvements for our Team?
I believe we need a couple of new moderators elected from within the DC ranks. This sub-forum is truly its own beast and we need the ability for active self regulation.
I would also like to see more of the team on IRC, that's a great place to get to know your teammates, give and receive help, and discuss off topic things not suitable for the forum.
Tell us about your involvement.
Where did you begin?
Eight months and counting as a folder. I am also active on IRC helping other members with builds and hardware questions or anything else I can assist with. This of course comes back to haunt them when I have to do anything in linux and come running for help.
What are you running today?
I have a dual hex SR-2 at 3.5ghz, a dual hex htpc at 2.66ghz, a single G34 dodeca at 3.2ghz, and two 2600k's at 4.6ghz. In the winter I also fire up 3x GTX 470's.
Where do you see your DC'ing activities in the next year or two?
My farm is just about at capacity and I can't add anything more without tripping breakers with troubling frequency. I will likely maintain at the 4-5 boxen level and upgrade individual machines where it makes sense.
In order to satisfy my intrinsic need to build machines, I will be working on several borg builds for close friends over the coming months.
Do these boxen have day jobs or are they dedicated folders?
The two 2600k's are gaming machines, the dual 2.66 hex rig is an HTPC, and the SR-2 is going to become a hackintosh within the next month or so. At that point only the dodeca will be dedicated but I'll probably give it some hard drives and make it a server in order to justify its existence.
How are these boxen configured? OS, client, etc?
The two 2600k's run windows 7, the HTPC is windows 7 with a linux VM, the SR-2 is currently gentoo but will be OS X with a linux VM, and the dodeca is ubuntu.
Have you been successful borging? If so, what kind of borging worked for you? (For example, friends, family, and/or work?)
I have plans and permission to but haven't yet gotten anything online. My approach is similar to Kendrak's, sell friends a system you foraged together at cost with free 'tech support' if they keep it folding.
