Recruiting Suggestion

[Wheresatom]

First off, this post is only meant to be a suggestion, something for people to think about.

I have been a member of this forum for about a year now. I started here trying to figure out some stuff about my first build. I was a very casual user of [H]ard|Forum, only reading once a week or so. Every once and a while I would see someone mention folding but I really couldn't figure it out, and my curiosity passed. Even using the search feature at the time did not do anything other than point to more posts just mentioning folding, not explaining it.

The way I actually found out about folding was by accidentally landing on the [H]ard OCP front page while I was looking at the review of the skulltrail motherboard. I saw Hardfolding at the top and clicked on it and reached the result of my curiosity a year later.

Since I now have some pretty good idea of what folding is, and how it is involved with the website, I have noticed a few more people mentioning it, and telling people to check it out, mainly in the overclocking and intel sections. As I have gotten involved with folding, I guess I have done a better job reading those sections of the forum, trying to figure out what I can do to increase my output.

There are a lot of people out there with quad cores and dual cores overclocked, and kinda bored from what I can tell. Through the proliferation of ADD or something, I think a lot of them just wont bother to figure out what folding is unless it is quickly explained to them up front, or at least if they are pointed directly to where the information is found.

I propose that when people mention folding to one of these people, they link to either the Stanford website, or this section of the forum.

I think just giving a brief explanation of folding would help to get the word out better. I don't claim to be well plugged in to the computer world at times, but a review for the Skulltrail Motherboard shouldn't be what introduced me to folding, that leaves a lot to chance.

 

[SmokeRngs]

Posting about folding in other subforums and trying to get them in here is something which is frowned upon. I don't have a problem with the reasons either. Some of us can get rather spirited in regards to folding and might go a bit overboard. In as case such as that, it can cause problems and make the team look bad.

Therefore, we have our sigs, our badges and some of us basically mention folding any chance where it is appropriate. This is done in the hopes that people will be curious and take a look. Our badges are direct links to our stats on hardfolding.com so it could lead someone there for more information.

Also, Steve will put up a post on the front page in regards to folding every now and then. It's not done all the time as that has a tendency to make them stale and repetitious. Once in a while usually works out well and catches people's attention.

I appreciate the idea and I really wish we could act on it but it's in everyone's best interest that we don't. It's been tried before without permission and didn't go over too well. Believe it or not, there are a number of people on the forum that basically hate folding and think it's nothing but a waste in every way. I just leave them to their opinions and don't bother with them. Especially since I know that sometime in the future, the work I've helped do with my computers will either help them or one of their family members. I don't do this for any recognition but to help eradicate some diseases.

 

[Kendrak]

So, when I answer a question in the Intel or AMD section and mention:

"Hey make sure your folding on that beast "


Is that a no no?!

 

[SmokeRngs]

So, when I answer a question in the Intel or AMD section and mention:

"Hey make sure your folding on that beast "


Is that a no no?!

That's probably fine as long as it's not the point of your post. For the most part, I was talking about starting a thread for recruiting specifically. What you mentioned is no big deal and can be ignored by those who don't want to see it.

 

[Wheresatom]

Just for clarification, my post in this thread was kinda what I was getting at. Is that acceptable, or is that going over the line?

 

[Sunin]

Just my thought, probably a bit overboard, but nothing too bad. I just added a good coment and put my badge up. Still take a while to get used to hitting the badge button versus reply.


If people knew how many compute cycles they waste... I mean was downloading, and watching movies and surfing the net last night and it hardly put a dent in my folding. 2,200 to 2100 for an hour or two. If they knew how much of their efforts Overclock'n, good equipment go to waste and how that could be put toward a good cause I think more would do it.

 

[SmokeRngs]

Just for clarification, my post in this thread was kinda what I was getting at. Is that acceptable, or is that going over the line?

I won't say it's over the line but it's a bit more than I would have done. I think you might have been better off pointing out the differences in the stock speed vs overclocked speed of how quickly the work units are crunched or something like that. Putting the post that way fits into what he asked in his original post somewhat. It's just all in how you word it.

I don't see anyone getting in trouble for your post by any means so you have nothing to worry about there.

 

[SmokeRngs]

Just my thought, probably a bit overboard, but nothing too bad. I just added a good coment and put my badge up. Still take a while to get used to hitting the badge button versus reply.


If people knew how many compute cycles they waste... I mean was downloading, and watching movies and surfing the net last night and it hardly put a dent in my folding. 2,200 to 2100 for an hour or two. If they knew how much of their efforts Overclock'n, good equipment go to waste and how that could be put toward a good cause I think more would do it.

Trust me, I have the same feeling about overclocking. I don't normally game all that much and with the monitor and video card I have, there really isn't much reason to overclock any farther than the factory settings. I just don't see any differences. For the most part, it was the same with my 7600GT. Increasing the overclock was not going to allow me to bump up the resolution in newer games from 1280x1024 to 1600x1200 so I just left it at the factory overclocked settings.

Now, my CPU on the other hands shows a remarkable difference between stock and overclocked settings when folding. Besides, what's the use of having an overclock if it doesn't actually help out with anything? Folding is one of the big ways to show that even a moderate overclock can make a big difference. It's CPU bound only for the most part and so any increase in CPU speed will make a difference.

Another reason you won't see some people with massive overclocks run F@H is because some of them don't want to take the time or effort to make sure the overclock is stable. With folding you have to make sure the overclock is stable. If it's not, you get EUEs, restarts and other things. Oftentimes these won't show up as instability in a game or something but it will show up with folding. Therefore, to protect their higher overclock e-penis, they don't want to run anything which will make them lower it. I'm not going to complain, it's their decision and their computer, but I also hate to see all the wasted cycles all over the place.

Hell, if I could borg the building I work in, I would probably make FLECOMs best production look small. It's just one of those things you have to get used to unfortunately.

 

[SmokeRngs]

I just made a reply in that thread and that's normally what I do. If there is a way to put folding into the conversation and stay on topic like that, I'll do it if I'm thinking about it. I don't normally go out of my way to mention anything extra but I'm also a quiet low key person.

 

[Celerator]

Here's a thought. What if our badges had a little information icon that, when clicked, would take the user to an information page describing folding?

Fold on!

 

[Kendrak]

Here's a thought. What if our badges had a little information icon that, when clicked, would take the user to an information page describing folding?

Fold on!

2nd!

 

[Xilikon]

aldamon tried once to post in the Intel forum and it came down in flames. However, it's not a recruitment post per se but more like "why don't you fold". However, another one in GenMay is a great success and I guess those who pay for GM will feel a strong appartenance to [H] so they will do anything anyway.

There is a fine line between trying to recruit and get flamed in the public areas. For each great member, there is often 5 more who are just assholes who doesn't care about [H].

 

[SmokeRngs]

aldamon tried once to post in the Intel forum and it came down in flames. However, it's not a recruitment post per se but more like "why don't you fold". However, another one in GenMay is a great success and I guess those who pay for GM will feel a strong appartenance to [H] so they will do anything anyway.

There is a fine line between trying to recruit and get flamed in the public areas. For each great member, there is often 5 more who are just assholes who doesn't care about [H].

I left out the thread in Genmay for a reason. Since it's a paid members area and the off topic part of the forum (except for here of course) that thread was wasn't breaking any rules. Basically, anything that fits into the forum rules will work just fine in Genmay.

That thread has also been a huge success, definitely different than what I had expected to tell you the truth. Then again, as stated, Genmay is mostly people who have paid to get in there and usually think more of [H] than a lot of the general forum members. I'm not putting down anyone that doesn't have a Genmay sub so don't take that statement the wrong way. The main reason I even did it was to send $5 every year for help with the forums. I've spent $15 so far for subs to Genmay and that would have gotten me a lifetime sub. I'll just keep putting my $5 in every year to support the forum. I consider it a wise investment.

Anyway, recruitment in other parts of the forum can be a mixed bag. That's why I just keep it low key and hope more and more people see things and become interested. I think the badges have been a really good thing for that. Hell, we're the only people allowed to do anything like that on the forum. No one but the folders can have anything like a picture in their post on a regular basis. It's just something Kyle has allowed for those who support the [H]'s DCing efforts.