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- Jan 1, 2005
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Ask not what PC Review can do for you - ask what YOU can do for PC Review
There are many, many hundreds of registered members here, and quite a few are regular visitors and posters - however there are only 24 members which are currently active 'crunchers' for the PC Review Distributive Computing team - The PCReview Crew II.
What is Distributive Computing? - well it is using the unused processing power or cycles of your computers(s) to help solve medical problems.......This is where you come in.....It would cost a great deal of money for these research companies to buy the processing power required, and so they ask for help from the general public. By simply downloading the relevant software, anyone can let their computer 'crunch' data, with the aim of finding such things as a cure for Cancer/Aids/Muscular Dystrophy etc.
The program runs in the background while your computer is switched on, and you can go about your normal daily business without noticing any difference - it runs at the lowest priority, is unobtrusive and only uses the processor cycles that your other running programs are not using at the time.
The Team here crunches for World Community Grid, which runs research projects to help find cures and medicines to combat Cancer, Aids, Dengue Fever, Human Proteome and also work to help predict and combat the effects of climate change in Africa. You can choose to run them all, some or individually - its entirely up to you.
All the research is entirely NON-PROFIT making, and all completed research papers/data is freely available for any Research Charity (such as Cancer Research), company or individual to access and use.
How can I help? - you can register and download the software (BOINC) onto your computer from the World Community Grid website (WCG) HERE, and also join our crunching team at the same time or later via this link - The PCReview Crew II.
Once BOINC is installed using the username and password you registered at WCG with, you can login to the WCG site and go to your 'My Grid' page and select what projects you wish to run. You can also visit the link for the Forums and say Hi in our Team Thread.
Whats in it for me? - There are no financial rewards for doing this, but there is the deep satisfaction that by merely contributing those unused computer cycles when you are using your computer, you are helping find cures for some of the Worlds most devastating Illness and Diseases, many of which may sadly strike You, your Family and your Friends at any time - who knows, it could be the one tiny single work unit that YOU crunch that leads to that all important breakthrough.
Your contributions are however recognised by PC Review by the awarding of a 'Custom User Title' without waiting for the usual post qualification.
There is also a special 'Crunchers Corner' section here where Daily Statistics for the Team are posted, along with any project updates, issues and user problems may be posted.
Why am I asking for help now? - The PC Review crunching team are participating in a 3 week Easter 'Bunny Race' from 1st - 23rd March 2008. We are currently placed 11th out of 126 teams, and have already beaten our previous highest daily points score (347,535 yesterday).....but we want to do better, and with Yours and all the Forum Members help we can achieve great things and at the same time help find cures for those devastating diseases.
Please give it a try, even if just for a few days, or for the duration of the race - if you like it and enjoy the camaraderie then it will be fantastic if you stay, if you find its not for you then we will thank you heartily for your contributions and wish you well....................but all we ask is you give it a go and see.
I thank you all, and hope to welcome you soon to the team
Ady
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