What is the main usage for your PC?

[Jason.369]

Internet and College Work

I mainly use my computer for the Internet and various programs within the Microsoft Office package (basically College work). Without the Internet I would be very bored with my computer very quickly.

 

[michaelanderson]

Gaming for mine spent a grand on a new pc last month

 

[vaio]

Crunching crunching and crunching.........do computers do other stuff?

 

[floppybootstomp]

Crunching crunching and crunching.........do computers do other stuff?

Hmm... how to reply to this post without sounding offensive or coming across as a complete grump?

Let's just say this: I'm still crunching, mostly because I'd like to believe.

Along the way, Mr Flops has developed a healthy degree of cynicism though.

Of course computers do other stuff. Yes, I know, it was a joke, I do apreciate that but that message does have an underlying message maybe. Maybe hiding an obsession.

Nowt wrong with obsessions, btw, especially if they doing good, but I'd just like to say what I gotta say.

I started crunching almost nine years ago. It caught my imagination. Cure Cancer? Brilliant. Only on dial up; putting machines together from scrounged and borrowed bits just to crunch; creeping into my kids bedroom whilst they were asleep to upload results (and they had to put up with computer being on all night but they never complained) that's how obsessed I was.

Along the way I've brushed with the assholes at the Folding At Home Forum; I've read lots of reports that hint at Private companies using our research time and our electricty bill just to further their own drugs company research to make more profits; I've read that all the time we put in doesn't do any good at all.

But - I still crunch. Why? Because I want to believe.

I want to believe that we, us human beings, worldwide, can maybe help to cure these blights put upon us.

Cancer, AIDS, all manner of nasty diseases, I'd love to think we can help.

So I crunch.

But, after nine yeras and being bitten by the very thing I was trying to help find a cure for, I am a little cynical.

I was once posessed, I am no longer. When I go out now, I turn my machines. Off. I am no longer obsessed with scores, they don't bother me. I do know, however, that I am silently contributing. Whether my contribution , whether any contribution, will help, I really don't know.

But I'd like to think so. Wouldn't you?

Vaio, you work as a nurse - is that correct?

If so I have nothing but huge respect for you. Over the last two years I've spent a fair bit of time in hospital. October, 2006, I was in a ward, I'd just had a tube inserted into my stomach for feeding in case the radiotherapy made it impossible for me to swallow.

This one guy, a nurse, big lanky fella, looked after me. He hooked me up to the feed contraption, tested everything out. He noticed my I-Pod with movies on, spoke about getting one for himself but figured it would be a few more pay days before he could get one. He helped me. Don't know his name but I'll never forget him.

And for what it was worth this guy was Gay, he told me, that was the extent of our friendship. And I'd like to think it was a friendship, not just him doing his job.

So, after all that time crunching, the thing I was hoping to find a cure for bit me. Ironic eh?

Vaio, if you be in that line of work you must have seen the suffering, God knows I have, that whole experience opened my eyes to a whole new world. A world that is largely ignored because nobody wants to believe it will happen to them.

My dietician is a gorgeous lady aged about 38 from Newcastle who I adore and love her company. She told me that when she mentions her work in social circles, peeps clam up or walk away. Seems nobody wants to admit cancer exists. I asked her why she chose her path. She replied 'Somebody's gotta do it'

I asked her if she ever got fed up seeing so much suffering. She said if she can help then that's good enough. She also said that I stood as a good example of somebody coming out the right side. How long I last is anybody's guess though, lol, but I'd like to think that now I quit smoking I gonna last forever

What am I trying to say by this rather long and self-expunging post? What I'm saying is yes, crunching is a good thing, but be wary. I'm also saying don't become obsessed by it, there are better things to get your jollies off on.

Computers also: Play Games; Do word processing; browse the net; edit photos and videos and a whole heap of other stuff.

They are not exclusive to crunching.

Hopefully I've made my point without becoming abusive, derogatory or self-pitying.

I'd like to think so.

Crunch on

 

[floppybootstomp]

Well, that killed this thread stone dead, didn't it?

I do kinda wish I hadn't made that post - but I did.

I do hope it isn't conceived as negative but that's just the way I am.

I still tend to get a little emotional/opinionated sometimes, that's life I guess.

Hopefully, this will fade away now.

I worry that I may have acted as a damp squid to the crunching effort - I hope not.

Enough.

 

[Spezi]

Well I'll probably catch it from Flops but here goes....

Do we get any guarantees that our crunching will cure anyone? No we don't but then there aren't really any certainties in life other than paying taxes and death.

I crunch because like Flops I choose to believe and since I'm incapable of helping in any other fashion that's what I do. I view it as a step above complete helplessness.

If I wasn't spending my money on computer parts and utilities but rather handing the same amount over to some charity the reality is that once the money leaves my hand I have no control whatsoever as to where it goes or if it even goes.

The beneficial part to this option is that even though the initial goal was crunching in the end what has happened is all my offspring have fairly decent equipment they can also use for surfing, email, and chatting and I still maintain a semblance of control over the investment.

Are there other things I could spend the money and time on? I'm sure there are but after a brief foray into the world of gaming I'd have to say that my take on it is that there can't possibly be a greater waste of time than spending hours gazing at some virtual scene to get off a few shots simply to start over again when the game ends.

I mean everyone only gets so good and once you reach that level what's the point really?

I'm not slamming any one elses decision but simply stating that I'd rather spend my resources on a better CPU and memory than some outrageously priced video card that I'll never get full benefit from anyway and doesn't render what I'm viewing much better than a part that costs one fifth of the price.

The end result is that rather than sit by and do nothing at all I choose to believe that our crunching will help in some small way to alleviate someone's misery and if it helps only one then it's all worth it.

Whilst younger I was known to fritter away quite a sum on the ale so by comparison this is a much better choice than overworking me kidneys.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Well I'll probably catch it from Flops but here goes....

Not from me, nope.

Only thing you'll catch it from me from is quitting another forum after being a long time member without any real reason. And then slagging them off roundly.

I'm still astounded by that and wonder how long it will be before you do the same thing here. I can't trust you Spezi, sorry, but peeps who suddenly backstab for no reason I'm wary of.

Do we get any guarantees that our crunching will cure anyone? No we don't but then there aren't really any certainties in life other than paying taxes and death.

I know that, believe me I do. Like I said though, I honestly don't think I'm mentally stable after suffering that thing.

I crunch because like Flops I choose to believe and since I'm incapable of helping in any other fashion that's what I do. I view it as a step above complete helplessness.

If I wasn't spending my money on computer parts and utilities but rather handing the same amount over to some charity the reality is that once the money leaves my hand I have no control whatsoever as to where it goes or if it even goes.

The beneficial part to this option is that even though the initial goal was crunching in the end what has happened is all my offspring have fairly decent equipment they can also use for surfing, email, and chatting and I still maintain a semblance of control over the investment.

Agreed.

Are there other things I could spend the money and time on? I'm sure there are but after a brief foray into the world of gaming I'd have to say that my take on it is that there can't possibly be a greater waste of time than spending hours gazing at some virtual scene to get off a few shots simply to start over again when the game ends.

I mean everyone only gets so good and once you reach that level what's the point really?

Oh dear. Oh dear me.

Why slag somebody else's enjoyment? I get hours of pleasure from gaming, I love it. You don't reach a level, your skill changes and it's a lot to do with how good your online adversaries are really.

You either understand it and love it or you don't.

In my experience fun people love games, serious boring people don't. Simple as that.

I'm not slamming any one elses decision but simply stating that I'd rather spend my resources on a better CPU and memory than some outrageously priced video card that I'll never get full benefit from anyway and doesn't render what I'm viewing much better than a part that costs one fifth of the price.

Whatever gets you off. But what you do is not neccessarily better than waht others do - like gaming, ya know?

The end result is that rather than sit by and do nothing at all I choose to believe that our crunching will help in some small way to alleviate someone's misery and if it helps only one then it's all worth it.

Of course. I know I'm perhaps a whinger but I still think it was quite odd that I chose to crunch to cure and found myself staring up at a radiation machine every day for six weeks, really quite ironic. Well I thought so anyway, gave me many a grin, tbh.

Whilst younger I was known to fritter away quite a sum on the ale so by comparison this is a much better choice than overworking me kidneys.

I still do and I don't care.

I've learnt one thing - I am going to enjoy myself while I'm still here, could be gone tomorrow after all.

For the last month my head's been a little bit skeewiff.

Why? Well, on Feb 8th Doc thought I had Cancer again.

Without going into all the details last Tuesday after all the tests - I haven't got cancer.

But can you imagine the anxiety?

It really is the mental mess-up that gets ya, believe me.

Oddly enough, I feel stronger from that scare.

Tomorrow doing a St Paddy's Day Disco at my ex Bro-in-laws' pub - I still active, I still good.

Enough, enough, enough - I'm taking a break, because I'm definitely becoming a killjoy and I hate that.

 

[Adywebb]

I say!! - steady on old chap....

Flops - I hope you'll reconsider what you've said in the opening part of your post above in the cold light off day, as I don't think its appropriate particularly in this thread.

 

[Spezi]

Not from me, nope.

Only thing you'll catch it from me from is quitting another forum after being a long time member without any real reason. And then slagging them off roundly.

I'm still astounded by that and wonder how long it will be before you do the same thing here. I can't trust you Spezi, sorry, but peeps who suddenly backstab for no reason I'm wary of.

Well Flops considering the amount of times I saw you fly off the handle toward the same webmaster I find your stand somewhat astonishing.

I suggest you get your facts straight before making false accusations since I didn't slag anyone off in fact quite the opposite but rather simply told an immature webmaster to stuff it when I got reamed out for no reason.

I put as much time and effort into that site as you and felt the treatment I got was totally unsatisfactory so since it's my right to do so I left and without engaging in infantile volleys of posts that same said webmaster has a history of doing.

Everyone has issues, stress, and private crap to deal with but after over a year of what I consider poor behavior, knee jerk reactions to inconsequential issues, and one excuse after another for it I decided I had enough.

Frankly I don't care whether you trust me or not since I don't owe you anything nor want anything from you.

I chose to help out here crunching as there are some good people and if that's a problem for you I can just as quickly move my herd elsewhere.

I captained long enough, babysat high maintenance folk for about five years and decided I deserved and needed a break.

I posted information to that regard and told the members to elect a new captain so if that doesn't meet your criteria I'm sorry but it does mine and that's all that matters. I didn't see anyone else rushing to salvage what they could when the need to form a new team came about so I stepped up and did it but I'm sure not going to ask someone's permission to leave.

Looking back at the production in the last year I think the leadership speaks for itself.

My only desire at present is to help out where I figure people could use the help and nothing more.

 

[Ian]

OK folks, thread locked for now.