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Major Enhancements  |
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World Community Grid is excited about some recently launched enhancements! These are designed to support members and make the volunteer experience more informative and enjoyable.
Welcome Linux Users!
As of November 1, 2005, World Community Grid now supports Linux computers. In order to do this, a second grid computing platform, called Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC), was implemented that runs alongside the United Devices software, which is used for Windows support. At this writing, Linux users are contributing more than two years of run-time per day.
Self-Help
World Community Grid has added a robust Help facility. "Help" features a detailed list of Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs), and volunteers can now do a key word search on these FAQs, which are updated on a continuous basis.
This augments the self-help philosophy embraced by World Community Grid by also providing volunteer support via the Forums
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Focus Your Research
Now that World Community Grid is running both the Human Proteome Folding Project
and FightAIDS@Home, members have the option of opting out of one project to donate all their unused
computer time to just one of the research projects. As a default, all members are contributing to
both projects; when the grid sends a work unit to the agent, there is a 50-50 chance that it will be
running Human Proteome Folding (or FightAIDS@Home) — unless the volunteer chooses to participate in
a specific project.
To opt out of a project:
- Log onto the site.
- Go to the My Grid/My Statistics page.
- Select My Projects on the left menu.
- Under Available Projects, uncheck the project you would like to opt out of.
Please note that the change is not immediate. The next time your grid agent sends completed results to the grid servers, the change will take effect.
Volontaire!
Coming in soon, World Community Grid will be available in French. Volunteers who prefer to view the site in French will be able to access a drop-down on each web page that will allow them to choose either English or French. If a volunteer does not choose a language using this method, then World Community Grid will look at the browser's language preference and default to that language. If the default is not a supported language, World Community Grid will default to English. Other languages may be added in 2006.
Grid Interactives for Students
World Community Grid also has teamed with TryScience, a collaboration of the New York Hall of Science, IBM, and the more than 600 member institutions of the Association of Science-Technology Centers. TryScience opens a world of science and discovery to students, who otherwise would have no access to the best museums around the globe. TryScience now features "The Grid," interactive online and interactive activities, inspired by World Community Grid, that are designed to teach students about grid computing in an engaging manner, while encouraging students to join World Community Grid, teaching them the importance of civic involvement and giving back to their communities.
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Getting started is easy! Just click here to join the World Community Grid today.
No other technological breakthrough has demonstrated the power of individuals more than grid computing. By donating your unused computer time, you can begin to change the world for the better.
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If you need technical assistance beyond what's available in Help, please visit the forums to post your questions and get answers on how others are using World Community Grid.
Help accelerate humanitarian research even further by telling your friends about World Community Grid.
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