Sorry, NixChix, but WCG has been sending notices messages for a very long time [pretty much since the first BOINC clients started having the feature, which was actually on request of the Berkeley developers when WCG started doing this]. v7 Has had a very high adoption rate and those on BOINCTasks have been having the benefit too of getting the WCG notices. The only other notices I see are from PG and GPUGrid. No other project seems to employ them or hardly [as was a recent complaint at the developers].

Now what I do not know is if notices in BOINCTasks is depending on having a v7 client installed... might well be possible, in which case you would not have seen them.
Apologies for making the assumption all did (but lots do).

Many of these points are not possible to answer in such near date? If researching would going that fast, we all would life over 100Years already. After the computing phase there is always a laboratory phase of the most interesting things they got out of the results. This isnt done in 2 weeks either..

*shackes his head* I find the information of the WCG Team is already very good. When ya dont think so, join some other projects and you will find out HOW GOOD the WCG Support Team is..Trust me!...

I think everybody who is interested for research can take the time to login once a quarter year. They informed us very good about the progress of the project i think...aanndd...Compare Facebook and a Researchproject is like comparing an apple and a piece of Meat (as example).

I agree with ericinboston that a forums-only channel of transmission is not an efficient way of communicating. I think there should be some levels of communication, meaning that important news should be pushed by email AND by "Notices" section, less important news should be sent by "Notices" section with links to forums.
Forums are a good platform of sharing and discussion, but they are not an efficient way of communicating important messages. It's not a duty to visit forums. And the level of "noise" in these forums is high so you could easily miss an important post.


I also agree with ericinboston when he says that there should be a more down to earth language for users/volunteers. In the end all the "laymen" are very happy to help and a language that puts a meaning in their help would be nice.


I also agree that project updates should be more often for the same reason as above: they might give a meaning to the volunteer work done (or the donation, take is as you like).

Of course, we can debate about ericinboston's tone (first post), but I think that he makes a point after you see past his frustration.

I think quite a few people here are still missing my points:

1)I'm not upset at a single scientist or someone on HCC. I'm upset with the PROJECT in how they update us (or lack) with information/news. I was pretty clear on some methods they could use to improve that communication...as well as finding a staff member to create non-mumbo jumbo news updates.

2)Let's compare the "mumbo jumbo" vs. laymen in an example. I sell enterprise software for a career. When I am in a sales cycle, I am not preaching to CEOs, VPs, Department Managers, and Business Analysts about Xeon chips and multi-cores and J2EE and web servers and AIX vs. Windows and Java plugins and fiber channel disk, and firewalls and ipv6 and load balancers and .NET and open ports and Windows Services and security models, etc. I *MAY* and will speak that language to an IT staff at the prospect/customer I am trying to sell my software to.

When I speak to those CEOs, VPs, Department Managers, and Business Analysts, I'm talking about what business problem my software will help solve (as that is truly the whole point of software...to solve a problem) as well as how it will make their business more agile...how easy it is compared to their current system/process/software...how my software will increase the company's bottom line and reduce costs...etc. No technical mumbo jumbo. These folks are the people who will be giving the approval to buy the software. YES, I need to dive into the technical mumbo jumbo with their IT staff and get their approval. But 99% of the time, IT does not decide if the company buys my software.

Now...let's go back to HCC as a Project...the Project dishes out some News, but it's always biology mumbo jumbo that I, Eric, have no clue what HCC is talking about. I want to know the much higher overview...have any drugs been created thanks to HCC's research?...are the drugs in active use and getting good results? How close is HCC in meeting their goals of finding/helping to find cures for cancer. I don't want to hear about proteins and similar language...because I don't understand it.

I know there are computer-technical people on this forum and hopefully they can relate to my example of what I do for a living. There are also people here that are probably biology wizards but have little knowledge of computer-technical talk and hopefully do NOT understand some of the computer mumbo jumbo I through out...and there, my friends, is my point...welcome to my side of the equation of not enjoying HCC news.

Maybe HCC is in the business of only wanting volunteers who hold PhDs in Biology and love the mumbo jumbo...and hence do not mind that such an audience is a very small portion of the larger world population....and hence are happy that there are 600,000+ users on WCG. But my instincts tell me that is not what they wish...that they would be extremely welcoming to 10 or 20 million volunteers to help HCC. Part of the reason there are not 10 or 20 million volunteers on WCG is due to the News/updates as well as the mumbo jumbo in the updates.

I'm the one giving HCC approval to run on my pcs...and I love doing it. But if I can't understand what progress is taking place, I may go to another Project. I really don't want to...I love trying to find a cure for cancer...but I also want to know that my time/power/etc is being appreciated.

ericinboston has carefully explained his position and ideas. These are the sort of posts that draw attention from the staff, who are the people who interface with the project scientists and try to set standards.

Good enough!

Please don't mob honest complaints. If you have ideas that might help deal with the problems raised, please post them here. Otherwise, please don't batter any members.

Lawrence