Way to be financed to build rigs to help research?

[vitchilo]

First I don't know if this is the right place to put this thread, but since it's linked to WCG...

Anyway here's my idea.

Since a lot of people want to help research in certain fields like global warming and cancer research, and I want to build and play with new toys, but I don't have the money to do it...

Why not go door to door with a ``pamphlet`` explaning that by giving me money, people would help research? I would set up a BOINC/WCG account with a specific name and people who gave me money to buy a rig could go see the progress of the research done with the computer?

There could also be a list included with the things they want the computer to work on... climate research ect...

Do you think it's a good idea?

[D_A]

I think you'll get more dogs set on you than $$ given to you.

<serious answer>
If WCG was tax deductible it would be way easier to get people to join in. Given that it's not, and the people will be getting nothing (apparent) for their money, they'll likely think you're just trying to con them so you can buy a new games machine. Besides that, getting through to people how what we do can be considered serious research (don't scientists do that in labs? What? You're not a scientist and you don't even work in a lab?) is a tall order at times. WE know what's going on, but some people just don't want to have their perceptions challenged.

[Movieman]

^^^ What he said and better than I would have.

[lkiller123]

First I don't know if this is the right place to put this thread, but since it's linked to WCG...

Anyway here's my idea.

Since a lot of people want to help research in certain fields like global warming and cancer research, and I want to build and play with new toys, but I don't have the money to do it...

Why not go door to door with a ``pamphlet`` explaning that by giving me money, people would help research? I would set up a BOINC/WCG account with a specific name and people who gave me money to buy a rig could go see the progress of the research done with the computer?

There could also be a list included with the things they want the computer to work on... climate research ect...

Do you think it's a good idea?

Why don't YOU chip in money for US and we will build the rigs to crunch?

Seriously, well that's going to be VERY VERY hard. Preachers goes from door to door, just to explain God and Jesus, but they can hardly get a listener that can last through the whole conversation. If you are asking for money door-to-door, you may as well be standing on a busy intersection and beg for it.

[[XC] Oj101]

standing on a busy intersection and beg for it.

Stop giving me ideas now

[PoppaGeek]

While I agree with what others have said here I would say go for it. I can pretty much promise no one here has tried it. Maybe make a flyer and pass it out and see what happens. Maybe someone upgraded to a new PC and has no idea what to do with the old one. Just be sure it's a friendly neighborhood.

Good luck!

[Serpentarius]

First I don't know if this is the right place to put this thread, but since it's linked to WCG...

Anyway here's my idea.

Since a lot of people want to help research in certain fields like global warming and cancer research, and I want to build and play with new toys, but I don't have the money to do it...

Why not go door to door with a ``pamphlet`` explaning that by giving me money, people would help research? I would set up a BOINC/WCG account with a specific name and people who gave me money to buy a rig could go see the progress of the research done with the computer?

There could also be a list included with the things they want the computer to work on... climate research ect...

Do you think it's a good idea?

unless you can convince some corporates to do the donation .... but of coz, in return you'll need to setup a huge donation event (most probably nation-wide ) for the exchange of the donation ... after all, all corporates needed the attention. Promoting = more business

i don't know about event management .. but most corporates would prefer to a proper company which can really promote them ..... advertisement are tax deductible (to encourage economy)

i won't say that it's impossible .... but who knows? you might bump into a corporate company which wants to do a little charity (in return for their tax deductions ), they might use your idea to "help" save the World. They might throw you a big budget to show their "dedication".

It's a fresh idea, you know. It could be the ticket to go big.

[lkiller123]

EDIT:

I did that for a couple years. You'd actually be surprised, people are more willing to talk about religion than you might think. Getting in the door is easy enough... most people want to get to "heaven" or whatever "good place" they believe in and kicking preachers out on the street usually looks bad on your CV when you get to the "pearly gates"
Now, getting people to actually change religions and convert... well, that's the tough part.

Not for us, my neighbors are usually like. "Sorry me speak no Engrish, bye." *slams* "Sorry I am a buddhist* *slams*
Well me personally is a Christian, I just stand there to listen because I just suck at saying no.

Stop giving me ideas now

Now you took my idea, I need a 10% share

While I agree with what others have said here I would say go for it. I can pretty much promise no one here has tried it. Maybe make a flyer and pass it out and see what happens. Maybe someone upgraded to a new PC and has no idea what to do with the old one. Just be sure it's a friendly neighborhood.

Good luck!

My bad, as gongo said, I focused it as a door-to-door event. Flyers are nice, make it like a "Donate used computers to scientific cause." Write columns of informations that's about WCG. Of course, make it convincing, and dummie-proof

[PoppaGeek]

Why not go door to door with a ``pamphlet`` explaning that by giving me money, people would help research? I would set up a BOINC/WCG account with a specific name and people who gave me money to buy a rig could go see the progress of the research done with the computer?

There could also be a list included with the things they want the computer to work on... climate research ect...

Do you think it's a good idea?

First I don't think I would mention money. Just ask for any support or help. Let them offer money or PCs or whatever. Also be careful about making it too complicated. Keep to the basics until they ask questions then go deeper. Pictures work better than pages of info. Links to info give credibility. People get frustrated when they do not understand what you are saying and may act mad to cover it. Just say you want to make this a better world and what your basic idea is on how to do it and your looking for any help you can get. Someone may have an idea you didn't think of.


Just some second thought advise. Be prepared for alot of nos but just a few yeses could do it for ya.

Let us know if ya do it and how it goes.

[artemm]

Crunching is great, but, in all honesty, if a person was to donate money to a good cause, it would probably be better allocated going directly to a charitable organization. I think you won't have much luck for the aforementioned reasons (tax deduction, etc.) and because direct donations to research will always win over efforts like WCG.

I'd love to think that everyone on WCG is completely altruistic, but I have a feeling that there's a great deal of "boys and their toys" factor involved too (in varying degrees, of course.)

Just my $0.02

[N19h7m4r3]

You don't say!
E-peen has NOTHING to do with it, right? ... right?

If there was alot of E-peen involved I think Dave would be playing WoW on that SR-2 system

[artemm]

If there was alot of E-peen involved I think Dave would be playing WoW on that SR-2 system

I think the phrase "when hell freezes over" should be retired and replaced with "when Dave snoozes WCG to play WoW on his SR-2."

[123bob]

Hmmm, not tax deductible.......We've talked about that before.

New idea.......Could we set the entire team up as a non-profit organization? Then folks could donate to it and get a break? Just an idea.....

There might be book-keeping to be done and some formal organization required, like elected officers, but if we could get some sponsorship out of it........

Bob

[Jaco]

I'm not so sure that would be a good idea.
I think we'll attract a lot of people interested in getting things for free, not people who are interested in WCG

[naokaji]

In countries where electricity is relatively cheap you could probably go door to door and offer to put old and unused computers to good use, its likely to work better than asking for Money, don't know how much of a issue it is in the states, but at least in europe you get bothered by random people asking for money so often (be it charities or sales people) that you simply tell them f*** off pretty much the second they say hello.

[MadHacker]

Since a lot of people want to help research in certain fields like global warming and cancer research, and I want to build and play with new toys, but I don't have the money to do it...

but isn't getting your machine to do processing for global warming research not in itself increases your carbon footprint and add to the global warming?

[NaeKuh]

begging for money to build a machine is not what this project is about.

Its about giving what you can give.

When you start swinging around your e-penis then the project and our team's whole motto + objective is completely thrown out the window.

Dave said it best, and i'll remind u what he said:

It doesn't matter what you have as long as its up and running and giving points to our team.


The best you can do on our team is get discounts off used parts.
A lot of crunchers when retiring systems out will part with there stuff for cheap.

Hmmm, not tax deductible.......We've talked about that before.

Bob

The power or the machines?

On a 1099 it should both be deductible.

The power would be under operational expense, so it would be deducted. (however it would need to be at the office and not home)
The computer would go under office hardware / office supplies, and that's also another tax deductible category.

New idea.......Could we set the entire team up as a non-profit organization? Then folks could donate to it and get a break? Just an idea.....

There might be book-keeping to be done and some formal organization required, like elected officers, but if we could get some sponsorship out of it........

Bob

Hey i like this idea.
We donate, and get a tax rebate recipt. Not a bad idea, however bob, a NPO = $$$ to setup. :X

I'm not so sure that would be a good idea.
I think we'll attract a lot of people interested in getting things for free, not people who are interested in WCG

Which is my first argument, but when i scored the 10 ES cpu's to pass out, that went pretty well with dave being the management person.