Has anyone else done the "distributed computing" thing? I've tried it, with dismal results.

I joined the British Climate Change group, downoaded a big program, downloaded a project, and my computer went to work. Every once in a while I'd turn it off so as to use the CPU for something else intensive.

Turning it on I'd lose the project, and 100, 200 or 300 hours of work. Out of about 2500 total.

Recently I decided to let the computer run forever to get "my" part of the project done, and be finished with them. I had 1200 CPU hours logged, about half-way there, and could see the end. A couple of months at the most, and I'm outta there.

Well, in the "messages" I got a notice about an update to the program, BOINC. I'm thinking this may be faster, more efficient, and they notified me for a reason. I download and install it.

The new BOINC superceded the old BOINC, as I expected. In with the new, out with the old. And with it went ALL my computer's work. No project associated with it, but detailed instructions on how to ask for a new one.

And there's no one a nosepicker like me can find to ask about what to do.

So, I went to "Change/Remove" programs, and am through with "distributed computing". Scroom.

I feel better.

Arf