Use your PC to fight cancer

[Jason Dunn]

<a href="http://members.ud.com/services/teams/team.htm?id=44BBA3BA-8261-4D70-AC2F-0B06B4E67D17">http://members.ud.com/services/teams/team.htm?id=44BBA3BA-8261-4D70-AC2F-0B06B4E67D17</a><br /><br />Barry from Pocket PC Tools.com says it all:<br /><br />"I have been using a screensaver lately that uses my computer to help find a cure for Cancer. I thought it would be a good idea if we got some Pocket PC people together to help. I was chatting with Jason Dunn of Pocket PC Thoughts and realized that he set up a group a while back. The group has over 185 members and has contributed 97years, 232 days, 13 hours, 30 minutes, and 56 seconds of processing time. It is currently ranked number 68 of 28,518 teams! I would like to propose that we get as many Pocket PC fans, users, and web site participating in this cause. Lets see if we can be the number 1 team! To join, go to the UB site and <a href="http://members.ud.com/download/gold/">download the software</a>. Then <a href="http://members.ud.com/services/teams/team.htm?id=44BBA3BA-8261-4D70-AC2F-0B06B4E67D17">join the 'Pocket PC' team</a>."<br /><br />I'd love to see us get higher up on the ranks than #68! And if you're a SETI@HOME user, join this team and use your CPU cycles for something that really matters. Yeah, I know when the aliens come they'll cure cancer, but in the mean time... <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif" />

[Xaximus]

Yeah, I know when the aliens come they'll cure cancer, but in the mean time...

You got it all wrong man... the aliens GAVE us cancer in the first place! OH NO I JUST SAT ON MY TIN FOIL HAT!!!

[sundown]

This is such a cool program. I've been using it for a few weeks now. I'd join but I have my own team now. UD seems legit since because it's sponsored by big names like Intel.

[GregWard]

Brilliant idea - well done. Never heard of it before - but am now in - purely thanks to this post! :D

[fgarcia10]

I have a dial up connection and sometimes when somebody calls me the connection fail, Will the UD software know to stop a specific task or finish offline and resume when I am online again?

[brntcrsp]

well, if it's anything like Seti@home you download the segment you are supposed to process, and when you connect again it sends the finished segment and receives a new one.

[Jason Dunn]

I have a dial up connection and sometimes when somebody calls me the connection fail, Will the UD software know to stop a specific task or finish offline and resume when I am online again?

It downloads the data in "chunks" and a single chunk can last for quite some time.

[marconelly]

UD has been around for at least a year or two. It's legit, no worries!

[ram]

no question that it is legit. But i have a different question. I read their users agreement and tried to get details from their website. I am not able to verify that all research/results will not be sold for PROFIT. I personally am not interested in donating my computer time or money to an organization who is going to make profit. United devices is currently privately held but I can't confirm that it is a non-profit organization.

Jason, can you confirm this?

thanks
ram

[Jason Dunn]

United devices is currently privately held but I can't confirm that it is a non-profit organization.

When you sign up using the link I gave you, you're automatically attached to the cancer project. If you want to earn money and other things, you can switch to another program, but the Pocket PC team is focused on the cancer project. They're in phase two now but you'll always have control over what projects you are working towards.

[denivan]

I used UD some years ago for the cancer thing, but stopped using it after it came clear that they also used the information they gathered on reasearch about dirstributed computing. At the time they're was a big riot, and I don't like to let my computer work for a company that has a hidden agenda. And like previously said, who guarantees you that once their is cure found, it won't be used for profit ? It's not like US companies are know for their ethics these days.

Ivan

P.S. Does anyone know if using these things (keeping your CPU at constant 100% usage) has affect on your CPU life ?

[DrtyBlvd]

"...until the aliens get here..." - LOL

Err - am I missing something? It seems obvious to me that *of course* results would be used to profit from them?

But surely the end result is worthwhile?

I'm sure the SETI results would be as well, were it possible - although it is perhaps harder to see how...

[denivan]

I'm not sure if it would be usefull at all. At the moment we have European and American companies that are stealing medicinal herbs and plants out of Africa (for instance, the bark of a tree that can help prostate problems) and taking patents out of them, prohibiting the original habitants to use their own medicines. Frankly, I don't want to live in a world like thas, unfortunately I can't avoid it, because it seems common practice for multinationals to do horrible things, but I certainly won't want to contribute to it.

Allready an American company has patents on genes, so that every breast cancer research done here in Europe should be send to the US in order to be legal. Now imagine what would happen if the pocketpc thoughts team would find 'the cure'. It would be great at first, but imagine one of you would get cancer, I seriously doubt they will let you use the cure. Something like this will be patented like hell and will be only available to the super rich. In this point of view, finding a 'cure' would be taste bittersweet imo.

On the other hand, if someone has to be first, I wish good luck to the pocketpcthoughts team. I won't be apart of it though. :roll:

Greetz

Ivan

[popabawa]

And if you're a SETI@HOME user, join this team and use your CPU cycles for something that really matters.
Sheesh, something that really matters eh? Something that affects mainly the developed world because of greed and over-consumption of goods produced through exploitation?

If you want to do something that really matters, use your computer to lobby your government to drop the crippling debt of large parts of the world which is hindering development and keeping the poverty cycle going thus leaving them open to further exploitaton by the developed world.

Believe me, there's more than enough $$$'s going into cancer research. Know why? Because there are TRILLIONS of $$$'s to me made out the research as our friend Ivan so effectively points out in the post above.

At least SETI @ home is carrying out research that isn't being duplicated elsewhere. Know why? Yup, you guessed it, there's no $$$'s to made out of alien-hunting.

Sorry if that was a bit of a rant :)

the Popabawa.

[Jason Dunn]

http://members.ud.com/home.htm

"Thanks to the continued dedication of our project Members, the Intel-United Devices-NFCR Cancer Research project proved more successful then we could ever have anticipated. It was so successful that we will begin a second phase of the project shortly to continue this groundbreaking research. The first phase, using the THINK application to identify key "hits", is complete. The second phase will further refine these initial hits by running them through a different application called LigandFit.

United Devices is still working in partnership with the National Foundation for Cancer Research, Oxford University and Dr. Graham Richards. His team will continue to receive the results and work diligently to advance cancer research. During this transition time, Members will notice the new application running, evidenced by a new name and graphics. Otherwise, we are simply continuing the same research with the ultimate goal of finding more effective drugs with few side effects to fight cancer."

You certainly have the right to be proud Bolsheviks, refusing to help the evil capitalist pigs find a cure for cancer :roll: , but having lost someone I loved to cancer, I don't have the luxury to be intellectual about finding a cure - it's a real problem that demands a real cure. I doubt your principals would be of much comfort to someone dying of bone cancer in a hospital...

[denivan]

Apparantly Jason you haven't read like you should have. I don't say there's anything wrong with finding 'a cure'. I just say that I don't think the final outcome of this research will be put to good use. And also like I said, their was a riot some years ago when it came clear that UD did some testing on distributed computing for commercial use. That was when I uninstalled the program.

Btw, cancer is so far spread that everyone knows at least one person who died of cancer. So do I. Still this doesn't make me feel obligated to participate in the UD program. This is my right to say this, this is my THOUGHT on the subject. If that is suffice for you to call us Bolsheviks, then I think I know what you can do with your so called 'forum'. Stick it where the sun don't shine.

Ivan

P.S. Have fun watching the pretty screensaver.

[Jason Dunn]

A bit testy aren't we? :wink: I simply thought it was strange that the fact that UD was considered "bad" because they are a for-profit company coordinating a non-profit study.

My point in quoting that section of text was that the cancer project isn't a for-profit enterprise. Yes, United Devices as a company offers their services to other companies for profit. But you, as a user, control which project you're involved in. If you don't want to contribute to a commercial enterprise, you don't have to. There's a lot of FUD about United Devices, and I don't like seeing that spread here - I wouldn't recommend it to people, or have a Pocket PC team, if I wasn't sure about what our CPU cycles were going towards.

I'd encourage it to investigate it yourself if you don't believe me. 8) People in a "riot" are rarely rational...don't be the victim of "mob mentality".

[zylark]

Why isn't there any such thing as freeware medicine :lol:

Put bluntly, the medicine-business is one of the fiercest competitive around, and just about anything they decide to do research on is driven by the ultimate goal of huge profits. Nothing wrong with that - as such - if only the same drug-co's used a hefty chunk of that profit to do some "pro-bono" for the less financially well off in the 2. and 3. world.

Here in Norway (and the rest of scandinavia and europe for that matter) the state picks up the tab for all medicine that is deemed crucial for the patients health through a refund-programme. Oh, and hospitals are free. Price is not an issue. And if a cancer-curing drug is found through this dist.comp. programme, I could'nt care less how much profits the financers of this project makes.

As for looking for little green men... Is it plausible that a civilization potentially millions of years older than ours still uses antiquated (by their technology) high power radio-waves? Methinksnot. And why would they want to talk to mentally challenged and uncivilized little primates like us :D

[denivan]

A bit testy aren't we? :wink: I simply thought it was strange that the fact that UD was considered "bad" because they are a for-profit company coordinating a non-profit study.

My point in quoting that section of text was that the cancer project isn't a for-profit enterprise. Yes, United Devices as a company offers their services to other companies for profit. But you, as a user, control which project you're involved in. If you don't want to contribute to a commercial enterprise, you don't have to. There's a lot of FUD about United Devices, and I don't like seeing that spread here - I wouldn't recommend it to people, or have a Pocket PC team, if I wasn't sure about what our CPU cycles were going towards.

I'd encourage it to investigate it yourself if you don't believe me. 8) People in a "riot" are rarely rational...don't be the victim of "mob mentality".

Off course I can't remember this completely correct, it's been a while. When I find the time tonight I'll try to find some more info on the riot, but I doubt I'll find anything usefull in this big soup called 'the web'. Anyway, I'm not testy, I just didn't like the fact that you used the word bolsheviks.
Found on dictionary.com : "often bolshevik An extreme radical"

So I take that as an insult. It's not because I don't swallow all multinational propaganda that I'm some sort of communist. Insulting or accusing people of this is the easy way out. American (and also european) multinationals don't just cheat on the stock market, they hurt countries, they hurt governements, they hurt people (supported by American governement). Especially those companies that have interests in foreign resources. Apparantly I don't have the right to look sceptible at what you say here. Remember the blurb about aspartane ? I am allowed to different views, people are getting more and more social awareness and realise they can't trust the stuff they buy. So don't judge me for doing this and don't call me a 'commie'.

[Jason Dunn]

I am allowed to different views, people are getting more and more social awareness and realise they can't trust the stuff they buy. So don't judge me for doing this and don't call me a 'commie'.

Yes, of course you are. I apologize - I meant the term fairly light-heartedly. :D

[denivan]

Apology accepted. It didn't feel like light-heartedly, but if you say it was intended so, i trust you.

Regards,

Ivan

[Jonathan1]

And if you're a SETI@HOME user, join this team and use your CPU cycles for something that really matters. Yeah, I know when the aliens come they'll cure cancer, but in the mean time... http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif


Hmmm after watching Signs I'd rather those aliens just stay over in their distant corner of the galaxy. 8O *shutters* One freaky movie.

Id rather we use distributed processing to help design a huge death ray to defend against the alien invasion. :wink:

[Ketsugi]

Over the last few years I've been using my CPU cycles alternately for SETI@Home, United Devices, and Distributed.Net... of the three my favorite is Distributed.net, though I'm not exactly sure myself why.

[ChrisW]

If you want to do something that really matters, use your computer to lobby your government to drop the crippling debt of large parts of the world which is hindering development and keeping the poverty cycle going thus leaving them open to further exploitaton by the developed world.
That's silly. Forgiving debt or sending aid doesn't help the poverty-stricken. It only funds their dictators to continue their reign -- worse than any corporation every thought of being. You're just being an enabler 8O . Consider the current famine in Zimbabwe. It's caused entirely by their "President" Mugabe kicking white farmers off their own plantations while crops are in the ground, ruining the crops due to neglect. The thousands or millions that will starve are really unfortunate, but it's the only way to FORCE the citizens to see what their government is doing, lighting the spark of revolution. Sending relief to Zimbabwe would let Mugabe off the hook, so he can continue apartheid against whites and torture against dissenters.

Here in Norway (and the rest of scandinavia and europe for that matter) the state picks up the tab for all medicine that is deemed crucial for the patients health through a refund-programme. Oh, and hospitals are free. Price is not an issue. And if a cancer-curing drug is found through this dist.comp. programme, I could'nt care less how much profits the financers of this project makes.
You are the problem :x . Price is an issue precisely because of societies like yours that don't foster any sort of competition. And the "state" doesn't pick up the tab; they just slice up the bill and force the citizens to pay. That way, those of us that are smart enough not to smoke (for example) have to pay the medical expenses of those who do. The only way to bring down the prices is to force the consumers to consider how much the products are costing, so there can be real competition.

Of course, the absurd IP laws these days interfere with such competition, but that's a different argument.

Anyway, lest anyone think that I completely lack compassion, I've got 3 computers working on this.

[popabawa]

sending aid doesn't help the poverty-stricken.

It does if you are dying of starvation.

Consider the current famine in Zimbabwe. It's caused entirely by their "President" Mugabe kicking white farmers off their own plantations while crops are in the ground, ruining the crops due to neglect.

And just why do the white farmers own all the plantations eh? It's because they stole the land from the local population a couple of hundred years ago. So who makes the profits? Do you see the whites starving - no. Mugabe isn't helping, what he is doing is deplorable but I'm trying to explain WHY the situation is why it is (whithout writing a 10,000 word rant!). The world economy is a larger version of Zimbabwe - the developed world hold the economic power (because the rest of the world owes TRILLIONS). If this money was available for development, it WOULD help.

the Popabawa.

[Steven Cedrone]

O.K. folks, Lets try to get this thread back on topic please.

Steven Cedrone
Community Moderator

[popabawa]

You certainly have the right to be proud Bolsheviks, refusing to help the evil capitalist pigs find a cure for cancer , but having lost someone I loved to cancer, I don't have the luxury to be intellectual about finding a cure - it's a real problem that demands a real cure. I doubt your principals would be of much comfort to someone dying of bone cancer in a hospital...

Jason, don't mistake my stance for indifference (or even hostility). This is not the case. If cancer can be cured, then fantastic, it will benefit a lot of people. I just doubt that using some of your computer cycles will make the slightest bit of difference considering how much research is already carried out in this field. I know that's harsh, but I can understand why you would want to participate though given you have lost someone to this condition.

Sorry if that seemed like a personal attack, it could have read that way and I sincerely apologise if I caused any hurt, but it seems like a fairly popularly held view that cancer is 'worse' than world poverty. It can be if you are unfortunate enough to be touched by it personally but globally, it's not the most important issue.

This probably isn't the best place to be discussing this issue. And especially for me to be ranting about it. I'll keep quiet now... :oops:

the Popabawa

[sundown]

P.S. Does anyone know if using these things (keeping your CPU at constant 100% usage) has affect on your CPU life ?

I don't but my cpu doesn't run at 100% all the time and the hit on performance when I'm using my machine isn't noticeable. Besides, I replace my cpu every year to year and a half and I think it ought to hold up at least until I'm ready to replace it with a newer, faster cpu/mobo. Though that is a risk you take, I guess. Having lost someone close by cancer, it's worth it to me.

[Newsboy]

Just wanted to update this thread...I myself have just joined the Pocket PC team at UD, working on the cancer project. And I have to say, I'm glad all this "power" is going to a good use. I sure as heck don't use my Athlon XP 1600+ and all that 512 MB of ram all that often, so why not donate it to a good cause? Besides, now I have an excuse for leaving my computer on all the time. :)

Plus, it makes for a really cool screen saver, esp. when your friends and guests see it. "What's that? I've never seen that screen saver before."