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#1 2020-03-31 14:58:10
- shiztivr
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- Registered: 2020-03-22
- Posts: 14
Folding@home - You can help find a cure to COVID-19!
Lately, I've heard of Folding@home.
It's a project that is researching diseases like Cancer and Parkinson's.
It's pouring its focus into researching the Coronavirus and we can help out by downloading their client software for free. What it does is that it shares some of our unused computer power to help process protein simulations that universities abroad conduct to further understand how viruses work.
With our help, they can find a cure to the coronavirus and the more of us know about this and contribute, the sooner that happens and the more lives we save.
I'd say check it out everyone.
https://foldingathome.org/
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#2 2020-03-31 16:22:52
Re: Folding@home - You can help find a cure to COVID-19!
shiztivr wrote: With our help, they can find a cure to the coronavirus and the more of us know about this and contribute, the sooner that happens and the more lives we save.
Easy to set up and run, have one machine dedicated! Thank you! 
cheers
zephyr
Last edited by zephyr (2020-03-31 16:30:04)
CROWZ
easier to light a candle, yet curse the dark instead / experience life, or simply ...merely exist / ride the serpent / molon labe / III%ers / oath keepers
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#3 2020-03-31 17:27:31
- anticapitalista
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- Registered: 2018-06-10
- Posts: 36
Re: Folding@home - You can help find a cure to COVID-19!
Shame it's not open source.
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#4 2020-03-31 17:34:08
- GNUser
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- Registered: 2017-03-16
- Posts: 570
Re: Folding@home - You can help find a cure to COVID-19!
Asking people to pitch in computing power but they refuse to show the source code? That's lopsided and creepy.
I'll be happy to contribute and spread the word when they make the source code available.
Last edited by GNUser (2020-03-31 17:36:08)
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#5 2020-03-31 17:59:39
- Dutch_Master
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- Registered: 2018-05-31
- Posts: 285
Re: Folding@home - You can help find a cure to COVID-19!
Asking people to pitch in computing power but they refuse to show the source code? That's lopsided and creepy.
I'll be happy to contribute and spread the word when they make the source code available.
Yeah, like now's the perfect time to be totally an@l about that :-\
Besides, here's the perfect reason why they won't release the source:
It is important to note that we do release the scientific modifications back to the open source community, but do not release information which would enable donors to cheat on points, which some donors have done ruining the experience for many others.
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#6 2020-03-31 18:04:23
- GNUser
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- Registered: 2017-03-16
- Posts: 570
Re: Folding@home - You can help find a cure to COVID-19!
Lopsided, like I said. They expect blind trust but are themselves unwilling to trust.
Trust should go both ways, especially in times of crisis.
We can disagree on this, but I don't think it's ever acceptable to ask someone to run closed source software. Principles don't just fly out the window when times are tough. I think it should be the opposite--good principles provide guidance, should be like light beams to help us find our way when the path is dark.
These folks need to come up with an algorithm that disallows data manipulation/cheating, then open up the code. Keeping the code closed for the highlighted reason is just a copout for bad software design.
Last edited by GNUser (2020-03-31 18:34:51)
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#7 2020-04-01 15:42:20
- shiztivr
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- Registered: 2020-03-22
- Posts: 14
Re: Folding@home - You can help find a cure to COVID-19!
Lopsided, like I said. They expect blind trust but are themselves unwilling to trust.
Trust should go both ways, especially in times of crisis.We can disagree on this, but I don't think it's ever acceptable to ask someone to run closed source software. Principles don't just fly out the window when times are tough. I think it should be the opposite--good principles provide guidance, should be like light beams to help us find our way when the path is dark.
These folks need to come up with an algorithm that disallows data manipulation/cheating, then open up the code. Keeping the code closed for the highlighted reason is just a copout for bad software design.
I am still running F@h as I speak but you do give a good point about everything.
Have you considered contacting the team behind the software and telling them that?
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#8 2020-04-01 15:57:42
- golinux
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- Registered: 2016-11-25
- Posts: 3,316
Re: Folding@home - You can help find a cure to COVID-19!
Considering the monied interests that "own" scientific research (perhaps the Gates Foundation is among them?), the "cure" is going to make a lot of people even richer because the "cure" will undoubtedly be patented. I'd rather let nature do its thing than participate. Note that I have never had a flu shot either.
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