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AtomicMoose
[H]F Junkie
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2001
- Messages
- 11,803
Tdg and Anderu recently got together for the final [H]ard|DCer interview of the fiscal year. An always humble Anderu let's us into his world. Enjoy.
Tdg: Congratulations on being chosen this months [H]DC'er, how does it feel to be chosen by your peers for this award?
Anderu: I know Moose will likely point this out as sounding familiar, but I have to say that it felt fantastic when I was nominated. I did not really expect to win, but the fact that I did was just out of this world! I have stated, and I believe that an honor bestowed by your peers is the one that really counts.
Tdg: That's very true; it's good to be recognized amongst your peers for your efforts. Why do you believe you were chosen?
Anderu: Well, since I am not a huge or colorful presence in the forums, I have to believe it was due mostly to the 5 years that I have been contributing to the UD project. In that time, I have seen the UD team go from just a few members, who were not even officially recognized by [H]ard|OCP, to a thriving DC effort with official sponsorship. I had a hand in making that happen way back when, and in those 5 years, I have gone through the ranks of our team until sometime early this year, I took the number 1 position. Currently, I am sitting at over 11 million points and over 50 years of CPU time. I guess somebody noticed.
Tdg: Obviously somebody did, that many points is bound to get you noticed. Is UD the only project you participate in?
Anderu: I did contribute to the Genome@home project as well, but at some point, Genome kind of faded away. After that, I just ramped up my UD production until it got to its current levels. So currently, UD is the only one I am doing. But, in the near future, I am planning on upgrading to a dual core CPU on a few of by borged units, and I plan on attempting to dedicate the 2nd core to F@H. My way of tipping the hat to the other noble [H] DC efforts.
Tdg: I think F@H is by far the most popular; it's nice to see a heavy UD producer. Do you know or have an estimate of how many machines/GHz you have under your command?
Anderu: The last time I counted, it was about 18 PCs (including my two kids PCs) and something in the vicinity of 40 GHz.
Tdg: Pretty decent setup; is it enough to beat the Moose?
Anderu: In all honesty, I never set out to beat anyone. I just kind of do what my circumstances allow. Now when Moose threw down a Gauntlet a couple of months back, I have to admit that I did ramp up a bit. But in the long run, my goal has always been to put down as much power as I could muster. If that has had the effect of making me the guy to beat, it all bodes well for the total effort when they try. Of course, now that I think of it, I have noticed Moose's UD numbers dropping a bit lately.
Tdg: So that's why he's not pimping his stats as often, haha.
Anderu: I just figured he was pushing some of his UD boxes back over to the F@H effort to help fend off the up-and-comers from down under.
Tdg: Ah I see, I don't keep up with UD as much as F@H as I should, but the fine folks down under aren't getting the #1 spot back anytime soon with the boost we got from our members lately.
Anderu: Yup! That was the impression I got as well. I do try to keep at least somewhat informed on what my brothers on the other side of the aisle (F@H) are saying in the forums. I don't read every post, but I can tell when things are going our way, and when the heat is on to ramp up. That is why I would like to throw a couple of units of my own into the fray. To do my little part.
Tdg: Every bit helps, and it's all for a great cause.
Anderu: That is the greatest part about this, and why I got into it in the first place, and why I have stayed with it all this time. However much or little you can throw in, it counts! Someday, you are going to read how this one guy, with one underpowered little PC, that produced 2 units a day, will be the one to crack the single most important piece of this mystery, and the next day, a cure will be found because of him. I firmly believe that the universe works in ironic ways like that! But whether you have one unit or thousands, every moment they are busy with one of these projects, the likelihood that a cure will be found increases. That is worth doing, and something anyone can make sense out of.
Tdg: That's very true; the entire idea behind DC is a bunch of little computers producing enormous amounts of processed data that should be useful in the long run. Have you participated in any DC projects in the past before Genome@Home or UD?
Anderu: No, UD was the first one that I heard about. I was introduced to it through a friend who was already doing it, but he has long since gone from the team. About a month after I began with UD, he told me that [H]ard|OCP had a team, and we could join in. As I came to learn, it was not officially sponsored at the time, but I felt like I was contributing to something larger than myself, and it felt pretty good. After a couple of years, I kind of started an effort in the forums to get the team sanctioned. It was a rocky road, but ultimately worth it.
Tdg: Well the effort was well worth it, I previously did F@H for another team, but I kept seeing the DC sub forum and seeing it on the front page of HardOCP, so I decided to move to this team, so the official support has definitely helped grow the team.
Anderu: I could not agree more. The community here at the [H] is as supportive as it is competitive. I have seen these guys go all out for someone in need, and that is all too rare in this world. Through my association with them, and my own efforts, I feel I am a better person because of what we accomplish here.
Tdg: We're all better people for spending the time and effort for a larger cause, I feel it in my wallet each month I pay the power bill, but someday when a cure for these deadly diseases is found it'll all be worth it for everyone.
Anderu: Could not have put it better myself. That is the tie that binds us, and the goal that drives us!
Tdg: Yep, speaking of cures, if distributed computing could find a cure for just one disease, which would you choose?
Anderu: Well, my deepest hope is that our work could provide cures for all of the afflictions of man at the same time. I know that will not happen, but surely, trying to choose between them is a no win situation. Because the things that we are helping research are all such monsters in their own right, our work is not really done until they are all gone. For me, if I had to choose the one that I would least want to be afflicted with, it would have to be the Alzheimers/Parkinson's related diseases. It is not that they are any more horrible or deserving than cancer, but the way they rob someone of everything they ever had, including the precious memories of life, love and family........it is beyond cruel. If that qualifies as a choice, then there it is.
Tdg: Well said, and you're right about we're not done until they all are.
Anderu: I figure we will be "gainfully employed" with our DC efforts for at least the foreseeable future my friend.
Tdg: I agree, it's going to take quite some time to cure everything, but in a way I hope that someday there's nothing left to cure, so there will no longer be a need to DC for cures, then people can go back to searching for aliens and other silly things to keep CPU's busy
Anderu: I would love to help figure out if there is actually life out there. But there are too many more important things to take care of closer to home first. Besides, I think if they are out there, and they REALLY wanted to talk to us, they would have. If they have any sense, they figured out that we have a lot of maturing as a species to do before we can join the galactic community. If there is nothing else out there, than the importance of taking care of ourselves, right here on planet Earth becomes even more imperative.
Tdg: Exactly. And I've said it before and I'll say it again, finding a cure is greater than finding E.T.
Anderu: Well, I can tell you that other than some time spent playing an MMOG (City of Heroes/City of Villains thank you very much) a couple of days a week, my home PC is not doing much else. Oh the occasional web browsing, word processing, etc. But nothing that takes too many cycles away from the important stuff for very long!
Tdg: Thats good; you know there is mandatory flaming for those who let cycles get used for anything other than UD/F@H
Anderu: Oh Jeez! The wrath of the [H]orde! Nooooooooo! I promise I will make up for it by putting my kids computers on for a few extra hours to make it up... I promise!
Tdg: Hehe, I don't think anyone will flame you in light of your contributions
Anderu: Whew! That's a relief! The time I spend on-line with my fellow games (shout out to the Paradigm super group!) is kind of how I decompress over the weekends. We actually use voice-over-IP to talk while we play and no matter where they are (and some are east coast, some are mid-west and some west coast), it is like we are all right in the same room. So for gaming geeks like us, it has a social aspect as well.
Tdg: He who works too much, doesn't play enough.
Anderu: As an aficionado of Star Trek (how is that for geekiness), a quote from my boyhood hero, Captain James T. Kirk "The more complex the mind, the more the need for the simplicity of play". I cannot attest to my own complexity, but I think the sentiment is absolutely true!
Tdg: Sounds true to me.
Tdg: Well I think that's all the questions I have for you, anything else you'd like to add?
Anderu: I like to at least try to keep things in balance. I try to stay fit, spend time with the family, and have a little fun when I can. Everything else is cake.
Anderu: Hopefully, we will all see the rewards of our efforts soon. Hang in till then!
Tdg: Someday we'll reap the benefits.
Anderu: QFT
Tdg: Well thanks for your time and contributions to the team!
Tdg: Congratulations on being chosen this months [H]DC'er, how does it feel to be chosen by your peers for this award?
Anderu: I know Moose will likely point this out as sounding familiar, but I have to say that it felt fantastic when I was nominated. I did not really expect to win, but the fact that I did was just out of this world! I have stated, and I believe that an honor bestowed by your peers is the one that really counts.
Tdg: That's very true; it's good to be recognized amongst your peers for your efforts. Why do you believe you were chosen?
Anderu: Well, since I am not a huge or colorful presence in the forums, I have to believe it was due mostly to the 5 years that I have been contributing to the UD project. In that time, I have seen the UD team go from just a few members, who were not even officially recognized by [H]ard|OCP, to a thriving DC effort with official sponsorship. I had a hand in making that happen way back when, and in those 5 years, I have gone through the ranks of our team until sometime early this year, I took the number 1 position. Currently, I am sitting at over 11 million points and over 50 years of CPU time. I guess somebody noticed.
Tdg: Obviously somebody did, that many points is bound to get you noticed. Is UD the only project you participate in?
Anderu: I did contribute to the Genome@home project as well, but at some point, Genome kind of faded away. After that, I just ramped up my UD production until it got to its current levels. So currently, UD is the only one I am doing. But, in the near future, I am planning on upgrading to a dual core CPU on a few of by borged units, and I plan on attempting to dedicate the 2nd core to F@H. My way of tipping the hat to the other noble [H] DC efforts.
Tdg: I think F@H is by far the most popular; it's nice to see a heavy UD producer. Do you know or have an estimate of how many machines/GHz you have under your command?
Anderu: The last time I counted, it was about 18 PCs (including my two kids PCs) and something in the vicinity of 40 GHz.
Tdg: Pretty decent setup; is it enough to beat the Moose?
Anderu: In all honesty, I never set out to beat anyone. I just kind of do what my circumstances allow. Now when Moose threw down a Gauntlet a couple of months back, I have to admit that I did ramp up a bit. But in the long run, my goal has always been to put down as much power as I could muster. If that has had the effect of making me the guy to beat, it all bodes well for the total effort when they try. Of course, now that I think of it, I have noticed Moose's UD numbers dropping a bit lately.
Tdg: So that's why he's not pimping his stats as often, haha.
Anderu: I just figured he was pushing some of his UD boxes back over to the F@H effort to help fend off the up-and-comers from down under.
Tdg: Ah I see, I don't keep up with UD as much as F@H as I should, but the fine folks down under aren't getting the #1 spot back anytime soon with the boost we got from our members lately.
Anderu: Yup! That was the impression I got as well. I do try to keep at least somewhat informed on what my brothers on the other side of the aisle (F@H) are saying in the forums. I don't read every post, but I can tell when things are going our way, and when the heat is on to ramp up. That is why I would like to throw a couple of units of my own into the fray. To do my little part.
Tdg: Every bit helps, and it's all for a great cause.
Anderu: That is the greatest part about this, and why I got into it in the first place, and why I have stayed with it all this time. However much or little you can throw in, it counts! Someday, you are going to read how this one guy, with one underpowered little PC, that produced 2 units a day, will be the one to crack the single most important piece of this mystery, and the next day, a cure will be found because of him. I firmly believe that the universe works in ironic ways like that! But whether you have one unit or thousands, every moment they are busy with one of these projects, the likelihood that a cure will be found increases. That is worth doing, and something anyone can make sense out of.
Tdg: That's very true; the entire idea behind DC is a bunch of little computers producing enormous amounts of processed data that should be useful in the long run. Have you participated in any DC projects in the past before Genome@Home or UD?
Anderu: No, UD was the first one that I heard about. I was introduced to it through a friend who was already doing it, but he has long since gone from the team. About a month after I began with UD, he told me that [H]ard|OCP had a team, and we could join in. As I came to learn, it was not officially sponsored at the time, but I felt like I was contributing to something larger than myself, and it felt pretty good. After a couple of years, I kind of started an effort in the forums to get the team sanctioned. It was a rocky road, but ultimately worth it.
Tdg: Well the effort was well worth it, I previously did F@H for another team, but I kept seeing the DC sub forum and seeing it on the front page of HardOCP, so I decided to move to this team, so the official support has definitely helped grow the team.
Anderu: I could not agree more. The community here at the [H] is as supportive as it is competitive. I have seen these guys go all out for someone in need, and that is all too rare in this world. Through my association with them, and my own efforts, I feel I am a better person because of what we accomplish here.
Tdg: We're all better people for spending the time and effort for a larger cause, I feel it in my wallet each month I pay the power bill, but someday when a cure for these deadly diseases is found it'll all be worth it for everyone.
Anderu: Could not have put it better myself. That is the tie that binds us, and the goal that drives us!
Tdg: Yep, speaking of cures, if distributed computing could find a cure for just one disease, which would you choose?
Anderu: Well, my deepest hope is that our work could provide cures for all of the afflictions of man at the same time. I know that will not happen, but surely, trying to choose between them is a no win situation. Because the things that we are helping research are all such monsters in their own right, our work is not really done until they are all gone. For me, if I had to choose the one that I would least want to be afflicted with, it would have to be the Alzheimers/Parkinson's related diseases. It is not that they are any more horrible or deserving than cancer, but the way they rob someone of everything they ever had, including the precious memories of life, love and family........it is beyond cruel. If that qualifies as a choice, then there it is.
Tdg: Well said, and you're right about we're not done until they all are.
Anderu: I figure we will be "gainfully employed" with our DC efforts for at least the foreseeable future my friend.
Tdg: I agree, it's going to take quite some time to cure everything, but in a way I hope that someday there's nothing left to cure, so there will no longer be a need to DC for cures, then people can go back to searching for aliens and other silly things to keep CPU's busy
Anderu: I would love to help figure out if there is actually life out there. But there are too many more important things to take care of closer to home first. Besides, I think if they are out there, and they REALLY wanted to talk to us, they would have. If they have any sense, they figured out that we have a lot of maturing as a species to do before we can join the galactic community. If there is nothing else out there, than the importance of taking care of ourselves, right here on planet Earth becomes even more imperative.
Tdg: Exactly. And I've said it before and I'll say it again, finding a cure is greater than finding E.T.
Anderu: Well, I can tell you that other than some time spent playing an MMOG (City of Heroes/City of Villains thank you very much) a couple of days a week, my home PC is not doing much else. Oh the occasional web browsing, word processing, etc. But nothing that takes too many cycles away from the important stuff for very long!
Tdg: Thats good; you know there is mandatory flaming for those who let cycles get used for anything other than UD/F@H
Anderu: Oh Jeez! The wrath of the [H]orde! Nooooooooo! I promise I will make up for it by putting my kids computers on for a few extra hours to make it up... I promise!
Tdg: Hehe, I don't think anyone will flame you in light of your contributions
Anderu: Whew! That's a relief! The time I spend on-line with my fellow games (shout out to the Paradigm super group!) is kind of how I decompress over the weekends. We actually use voice-over-IP to talk while we play and no matter where they are (and some are east coast, some are mid-west and some west coast), it is like we are all right in the same room. So for gaming geeks like us, it has a social aspect as well.
Tdg: He who works too much, doesn't play enough.
Anderu: As an aficionado of Star Trek (how is that for geekiness), a quote from my boyhood hero, Captain James T. Kirk "The more complex the mind, the more the need for the simplicity of play". I cannot attest to my own complexity, but I think the sentiment is absolutely true!
Tdg: Sounds true to me.
Tdg: Well I think that's all the questions I have for you, anything else you'd like to add?
Anderu: I like to at least try to keep things in balance. I try to stay fit, spend time with the family, and have a little fun when I can. Everything else is cake.
Anderu: Hopefully, we will all see the rewards of our efforts soon. Hang in till then!
Tdg: Someday we'll reap the benefits.
Anderu: QFT
Tdg: Well thanks for your time and contributions to the team!
