# ATTN: SETI@home Straight Dopers **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 20, 2002, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035 "2002-10-20T01:26:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035/81 "2002-12-09T20:06:44Z")
Welcome to the boards and the team, **Jarod Ilcast**! I really like the Seti Spy / command-line combo. Not only does the command-line version seem to be running faster than the screensaver, but Seti Spy’s little sky map is really cool. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035/82 "2002-12-09T20:53:19Z")
What is Seti Spy? ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035/83 "2002-12-09T21:16:19Z")
[Seti Spy](http://pages.tca.net/roelof/setispy/) is a helper program, mainly intended for use with the [command-line version](http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/unix.html) of the SETI@home client. So far, it doesn’t seem to have caused any problems with my system (no unusual screen freezes or Blue Screens of Death), and I don’t _think_ it’s transmitting all my keystrokes back to Admiral Poindexter’s office. ---
**Author:** ![Marcus\_Didius\_Falco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marcus\_Didius\_Falco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marcus_Didius_Falco)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035/84 "2002-12-09T23:40:24Z")
Hey all, thanks for the welcome. I’m certainly planning on sticking around, and contributing the occasional post, as well as work units. I think I’ll give Seti Spy a go, or at least go to blank screen quicker, since, according to the Seti Spy site, the graphic display takes up 60% of the available computing power. That means I should be able to turn around a unit a day. We’ll overtake the deviationists yet! ---
**Author:** ![Tuco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tuco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuco)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035/85 "2002-12-10T00:55:53Z")
Sorry guys, but I quick because it was using WAAAY too much of my limited memory, even when it wasn’t actually doing anything. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035/86 "2002-12-10T01:19:12Z")
I just signed up! I’ve only got 5% of one unit done, though. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035/87 "2002-12-11T01:58:51Z")
Sorry to hear that, **Tuco**. I see **Achernar** has completed his first work unit. Congratulations! (I wonder if SETI@home has ever processed any work units from Achernar?) ---
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035/88 "2002-12-11T02:40:01Z")
OK, I’m in. I had started to run this a few years ago when it first came up on the SDMB, but I deleted it because I had a crap computer. Now I’m running a P4 2.26 GHz machine. Let’s see what it can do. 😉 I had to join my old homey **brachy** ’s group, but it’s all for the same cause, right? ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035/89 "2002-12-11T02:53:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Demo \* > I had to join my old homey **brachy** ’s group, but it’s all for the same cause, right? Heretic. ---
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035/90 "2002-12-11T05:41:55Z")
Cool! **Demo** , my man! 2.26 machine? Your units will fly! You are a man of true tastes and deep understanding of Cecilian work units. \<_Cue music_\> Work units of beauty, groan from manny voices to create a glorious song in honor of our Perfect Master. Comeoncomeonlet’ssing! _Kumbaya my Cece, Kumbaya…_ Heretics, my ass. We will SO crush you…crush crush. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035/91 "2002-12-11T05:57:44Z")
As of [October 22, 2002](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&postid=2531580#post2531580) we had 4,985 work units to your 44,582, or about 11% of your total. The current totals are 15,638 to your 47,537, or nearly one-third of your total. _:pounds shoe on table:_ We will bury you! ---
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035/92 "2002-12-11T06:41:24Z")
I shall have to have that translated! Don’t you just love these Mutually Assured Diversions, Nikita? ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035/93 "2002-12-11T07:11:54Z")
Ok, I joined the group. The Straight Dopers uber those other guys! Tris ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035/94 "2002-12-11T07:52:41Z")
Great! Welcome aboard, **Triskadecamus**! And bringing 487 work units on board, too–outstanding! So, let’s see: Back on [October 20](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&postid=2526960#post2526960), y’all had 51 members. Now you have–_:drumroll:_–52 members! Oooh! Meanwhile, we have gone from seven members on October 19 to 38 members now! I think we can all see which group is the Group of the Future, here. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035/95 "2002-12-11T16:07:34Z")
Looks like we forgot to welcome “Donald Young”, with 752 units. Once the system updates completely (probably this weekend), it will show we’ve already topped 17,000. ---
**Author:** ![Bean\_Counter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/db5fbb/32.png) [@Bean\_Counter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bean_Counter)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035/96 "2002-12-11T18:28:22Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by MEBuckner \* > \*\*So, let’s see: Back on [October 20](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&postid=2526960#post2526960), y’all had 51 members. Now you have–_:drumroll:\*–52 members! Oooh! > > Meanwhile, we have gone from seven members on October 19 to 38 members now! I think we can all see which group is the Group of the Future, here. \*\* While those 52 members have racked up an average 915 work units per members while the Straight Doper Slackers only have an average 402 work units per member. And if you have not noticed yet, there is not much future left in the current incarnation of SETI@Home. So you can have all the future you want. It will still be what you currently have - nothing. Either way you slice it, Bucky, you’re stuck holding a one-way ticket to Loserville. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035/97 "2002-12-11T18:35:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bean Counter \* > While those 52 members have racked up an average 915 work units per members while the Straight Doper Slackers only have an average 402 work units per member. Well, the question is, which group is currently racking up numbers faster. Because if we can rack up units faster, then eventually we’ll overtake you. > [@](#): > > And if you have not noticed yet, there is not much future left in the current incarnation of SETI@Home. So you can have all the future you want. It will still be what you currently have - nothing. So what’s the next incarnation going to be? ---
**Author:** ![mkl12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@mkl12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkl12)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035/98 "2002-12-11T18:51:27Z")
The next incarnation: [BOINC](http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/setifuture.html) ---
**Author:** ![mkl12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@mkl12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkl12)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035/99 "2002-12-11T19:03:23Z")
Here’s more about BOINC: [http://boinc.ssl.berkeley.edu/](http://boinc.ssl.berkeley.edu/) ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035/100 "2002-12-11T20:17:55Z")
Ah, nothing says cutting-edge technology like a silly-sounding acronym. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-seti-home-straight-dopers/133035.md?page=6)