The paragraph below is a copy/paste that was written by Dr. David Baker in another thread
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This is right on target--can you start the "Can you help ..." thread. We really need all of your help with this, from creating HTML pages for "tell a friend" to easy install CD, etc--these are great ideas, which I think would help a lot, but we are swamped with putting out the bug related fires, improving rosetta, interpreting results, and all the other things involved in research. I really like the idea of the thread--maybe people can coordinate to work together on some of these ideas. as far as project leaders--I think they can/should be volunteers as well--like I said we are swamped. maybe we could even throw a rosetta@home volunteers party sometime ...
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Founder of BOINC GROUP - Objectivists - Philosophically minded rational data crunchers.

Like Feet1st said elsewhere this thread should be used to help coordinate different contributors' efforts to further cooperation and reduce possible redundancy of efforts....


And yes, I will definitely be coming to Dr. Baker's 'volunteer party' . :-)

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Founder of BOINC GROUP - Objectivists - Philosophically minded rational data crunchers.

Rosetta needs your help! In addition to your computer time, your personal time is needed to bring more computing power to Rosetta. The goal is to increase the project to 10 times it's present size. With that additional power more proteins can be studied, more theories can be tested, and more science developed to find cures for cancer, HIV, alzheimer's, and many other viruses and diseases.

There is a growing list of ideas in this thread. The project scientists don't have enough hours in the day to pursue many of the activities required to reach the 150 TFLOPS goal.

If you can offer your time to help, please add a post here and outline how you can help.

Here is a list of some of the activities that would be helpful to the project (more to be added to this thread over time):

Create an install CD: An install image of BOINC with Rosetta which would verify the PC configuration meets the project guidelines, offer information about the project, then auto-load onto a PC, prompt for your EMail address, and configure itself to establish a functioning Rosetta client.

Documentation: That install CD should have some brief instructions refering the user to the BOINC and Rosetta websites, message boards, research information etc. And help them understand their account profile, preferences, and the science.

Flash presentations or video: It would be nice if that install CD had some snazzy video explaining the project and how their PC will be helpful to the science being done.

Web page design: A link to the Rosetta website for people to "Refer Rosetta to a friend" is desired. The user clicks the link, enters some EMail addresses and a personal introductory message, and this is added to some "boilerplate" that describes the importance of the project, and getting more computing power working on it, and provides basic project information and URLs. And an EMail is zapped off. Or, alternatively, just develop some impressive boilerplate, click the link and an EMail is sent to the participant, which can then be forwarded by them to their friends.

Message board support: you can help the project by helping new participants feel welcome, and pointing them to helpful answers to their questions.

Start a friend on Rosetta: While all of the above are being developed, you can help the project by helping a friend get it set up and running on their PC. If they have problems, concerns, questions, or drop off the project, you can help by posting on the message boards what caused them to drop out, and perhaps that hurdle can be removed, and the future dropout rate reduced.

Talk to your employer: about what it would take for them to approve running Rosetta on machines at work. Use network only at night? Done! (General Preferences). Run only when the PC is not in use? Done! What else do they need in place to allow it to deploy in their network?

PC security: Can someone write-up some executive-level descriptions on how to assure that Rosetta doesn't gobble up sensitive corporate data on the PC and ship it across the net? And then have speaker notes, or an appendix that tells people how to configure things to PROVE to themselves that no harm can be done to their data, or their PC.

Volunteer connection website: Can someone offer to host a website to help coordinate the volunteers? Something that allows everyone to collaborate openly, without having piles of SPAM result? Ideally hosting message boards, a photo gallery, an upload area for documents, or proposed webpages, support a fairly high hit rate, have designated public and private areas, perhaps support for tallying votes.

Party planner!!!: When the 150 TFLOPS goal is met, there MUST be a party! Charge admission, invite the press, raise money for cancer research... a big splash (I had to throw that one in there :)

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Add this signature to your EMail:
Running Microsoft's "System Idle Process" will never help cure cancer, AIDS nor Alzheimer's. But running Rosetta@home just might!
https://boinc.bakerlab.org/rosetta/

Hello,

DPC created an automated installer, i think this will be helpful.
And about the host for coordinating volunteers, i got my own website hosting package and i have room for you guys, just msg me or something :)

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Hello,

DPC created an automated installer, i think this will be helpful.
And about the host for coordinating volunteers, i got my own website hosting package and i have room for you guys, just msg me or something :)

Pardon my ignorance but what is 'DPC' ? Thank you...

If you mean 'Distributed computing' then of course I understand...

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Founder of BOINC GROUP - Objectivists - Philosophically minded rational data crunchers.

Hello,

DPC created an automated installer, i think this will be helpful.
And about the host for coordinating volunteers, i got my own website hosting package and i have room for you guys, just msg me or something :)

Pardon my ignorance but what is 'DPC' ? Thank you...

If you mean 'Distributed computing' then of course I understand...

Dutch Power Cows.....

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Teddies....

Hello,

DPC created an automated installer, i think this will be helpful.
And about the host for coordinating volunteers, i got my own website hosting package and i have room for you guys, just msg me or something :)

Pardon my ignorance but what is 'DPC' ? Thank you...

If you mean 'Distributed computing' then of course I understand...

Dutch Power Cows.....

Yep, Dutch Power Cows, it was created for the upcoming stampede, to help non-dc freaks easy install the rosetta client :)

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I would be able to set up, and administrate a phpBB forum for the help discussions if you wanted. All we'd need is space on a server, and a MySQL database. I have some, but would you want a URL to yourselves? (Ie. you could have www.blue-world.co.uk/rosetta, or www.rosetta-group.com or some such.)

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I'm more than willing to continue helping out to the best of my abilities (not that great, actually) on the message boards. I'm a good welcome wagon :)

kathryn

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Kathryn :o)
The BOINC FAQ Service
The Unofficial BOINC Wiki
The Trac System
More BOINC information than you can shake a stick of RAM at.

I would be able to set up, and administrate a phpBB forum for the help discussions if you wanted. All we'd need is space on a server, and a MySQL database. I have some, but would you want a URL to yourselves? (Ie. you could have www.blue-world.co.uk/rosetta, or www.rosetta-group.com or some such.)

Hi Jonathan, those names would be fine--anything we can help with? thanks, David

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Hello,

DPC created an automated installer, i think this will be helpful.
And about the host for coordinating volunteers, i got my own website hosting package and i have room for you guys, just msg me or something :)

sounds great. how can the automated installer be made available for everybody?

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Volunteer message board, host: It was approaching midnight when I wrote the initial description, so the thought had occured to me, but I was too tired to implement immediately. I've created a Yahoo! Group for use by Rosetta volunteers. I've resticted access to "members only" to keep out spammers. If you'd like to join, create a Yahoo! ID (sorry, one more ID and password) when creating your ID, be sure to watch the check boxes carefully, if you don't want EMail there, then don't check that. "Join this group" (by clicking the button on the page at the link above), and enter a message "Rosetta thread 1266". I figure if you know to enter that, then you should be allowed into the group and will approve your enrollment (I'll try to run down the list once per day).

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Add this signature to your EMail:
Running Microsoft's "System Idle Process" will never help cure cancer, AIDS nor Alzheimer's. But running Rosetta@home just might!
https://boinc.bakerlab.org/rosetta/

I would be able to set up, and administrate a phpBB forum for the help discussions if you wanted. All we'd need is space on a server, and a MySQL database. I have some, but would you want a URL to yourselves? (Ie. you could have www.blue-world.co.uk/rosetta, or www.rosetta-group.com or some such.)

Jonathon, I can set up an appropriate server here in one of our centers. Why don't you email me (just jonathon now!) about this laidig@u.washington.edu. If the server was here you'ld have to live in my draconian world and you might not like that....

Is this going to conflict w/ the Yahoo! group? I'd like to have everything be synergistic. -KEL

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Is this going to conflict w/ the Yahoo! group? I'd like to have everything be synergistic. -KEL

I just created the group, because it could be done instantly, it's free, and it allows the controls (read SPAM limtations) and much of the functions I was hoping for, without anyone having to do anything else (other than me to control the from gate of group membership) or to get software or buy a domain or keep a server running.

Have a look at the Yahoo! group. I vote let's start with that, and if it proves inadequate in some way, then we can search for other alternatives. If anyone would be willing to co-moderate the group, I'm glad to share too. All you really would have to do is get a yahoo ID, have me set you up as a moderator, and help approve valid requests to join the group, and delete any SPAM or inappropriate posts (which don't seem to be a problem).

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Add this signature to your EMail:
Running Microsoft's "System Idle Process" will never help cure cancer, AIDS nor Alzheimer's. But running Rosetta@home just might!
https://boinc.bakerlab.org/rosetta/

I'm used to Yahoo Groups moderation controls, so if you want help, Then I can :)
Next.. I'm working on a php script to do the "e-mail to a friend". If someone could write what we send in the e-mail, I'll add that to the script.

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Well, if you guys (Jonathon and Feet1st) can work out the details then that's fine w/ me. Let's see how it goes. If it becomes a pain then I've got the go-ahead from DB to do what it takes to keep the user base happy - well, on the hardware end that is....

I appreciate your help w/ this.

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I'll donate 50 CD images of the Rosetta install: Once a master image is completed, I'll donate my time stuffing CDs in the drive, and my blank CDs and cases, and burn 50 copies and post them to whomever will handle labelling and distribution.

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Add this signature to your EMail:
Running Microsoft's "System Idle Process" will never help cure cancer, AIDS nor Alzheimer's. But running Rosetta@home just might!
https://boinc.bakerlab.org/rosetta/

feet1st

where are you located? us or uk? if you're in the us, i will do distribution. get them to me and i will then send them out to whoever requests one for free.

also i would like to take on the task of writing a request to NPR for Dr. Baker to be interviewed. so you can check that off the list. i'll join the yahoo group as soon as i figure out how!

not to put a damper on things, but we did try a tshirt at Fad, it wasn't really a success as it costs a lot to have them made up and then shipped out. plus collection hassles. that might be better left to cafe press.

who is in charge, you or robert brooke?

[edit] i've joined the yahoo group, just waiting to be approved [/edit]

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If it becomes a pain then I've got the go-ahead from DB to do what it takes to keep the user base happy - well, on the hardware end that is....

Keith, now you mentioned the hardware end... it reminds me to mention again that the Website (http only) performance issues with boinc.bakerlab.org still remain (less so than last week, but still often enough).

A responsive, snappy website is important.

Maybe the info at apache v2 performance tuning and particularly worker is helpful.

"The server can be better customized for the needs of the particular site. For example, sites that need a great deal of scalability can choose to use a threaded MPM like worker, while sites requiring stability or compatibility with older software can use a prefork."

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Best UFO Resources
Wikipedia R@h
How-To: Join Distributed Computing projects that benefit humanity

Create an install CD: An install image of BOINC with Rosetta which would verify the PC configuration meets the project guidelines, offer information about the project, then auto-load onto a PC, prompt for your EMail address, and configure itself to establish a functioning Rosetta client.

Yes, an installation package for Win and especially Linux (which has lots of new users, who aren't very knowledgeable in admin'ing it), with Rosetta "preconfigured", like LHC did. But is it really necessary to put it on CD?

Web page design: A link to the Rosetta website for people to "Refer Rosetta to a friend" is desired. The user clicks the link, enters some EMail addresses and a personal introductory message, and this is added to some "boilerplate" that describes the importance of the project, and getting more computing power working on it, and provides basic project information and URLs. And an EMail is zapped off. Or, alternatively, just develop some impressive boilerplate, click the link and an EMail is sent to the participant, which can then be forwarded by them to their friends.

I think this one needs a bit of thinking.

The problem I see with this, is that these kind of "invite" scripts, is that if they're left semi-open, so one the inviting user include some personal info, they'll definately be abused by spammers (you can't imagine how quickly they find a way to exploit those scripts). Which will get Rosetta's IPs blocked in RBLs.

Not to mention that the From:/Sender address needs to be from bakerlab.org (nowadays one can't spoof the Sender address, e.g. so I can have the script mail out with my OWN address) which some people might consider spam.

So we're left with a "boilerplate" message, in which case I think one should just

1/ email friends from one's own account
2/ just put a link in your "signature". I do this in all forums I take part

Start a friend on Rosetta: While all of the above are being developed, you can help the project by helping a friend get it set up and running on their PC. If they have problems, concerns, questions, or drop off the project, you can help by posting on the message boards what caused them to drop out, and perhaps that hurdle can be removed, and the future dropout rate reduced.

This is definately the best way in my experience (but requires the most time).

PC security: Can someone write-up some executive-level descriptions on how to assure that Rosetta doesn't gobble up sensitive corporate data on the PC and ship it across the net? And then have speaker notes, or an appendix that tells people how to configure things to PROVE to themselves that no harm can be done to their data, or their PC.

Security is a BOINC issue. Read: http://boinc.truxoft.com/security.htm One can run it in a limited account (WinNT and derivatives: XP, 2K, Linux) and then there's nothing whatsoever to worry about

The other ideas are all good imho.

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Best UFO Resources
Wikipedia R@h
How-To: Join Distributed Computing projects that benefit humanity