When the researchers asked us to add the student writings to the the grid agent graphics, we thought it was a novel idea and assumed that members would like a little bit of change and variety. But like all experiments, some succeed and some fail. But if you don't try them, then nothing ever changes.

Based on the results of this experiment, we will keep our focus on research. Going forward, all information for a research project will pertain to that research project.

As to the student writings, the researchers have taken the time to cut them down to 50 or so and we will be changing them on the graphic in a week or so. If those still cause major problems, then we will remove them all.

I don't even look at any graphics for any projects for any long amount of time.. I use BOINC in advanced mode on all systems.. I use the best screen saver in the world after 10 Minutes the screen shuts off.. :)
I looked at the Graphics on this new project with all these text windows.. all looks like much of the stuff you scan through a news paper quick. I don't see that as a factor to not run the project like some posters have done.. the cause of the project far outweighs complimentary eye candy that comes with it..

Crunch On.. :)

From numerous stays in america myself.



The whole time I was there on this occasion I did not switch the TV on.



There were numerous in use in the Wal-Mart I shopped at, and yes these weren't peoples own wheelchairs... they each had 'courtesy of Wal-Mart' printed on their side. And each occupant I saw in them was seriously oversized... these weren't people with 'normal' disabilities like lost limbs.



I don't watch them, so it's irrelevant for forming my opinion.



Fair enough if you kids aren't interested, but if the rest of the population weren't either, she wouldn't have a show. I'd say this suggest your kids are in the 0.1% (and I mean that as a compliment to yourself and your kids) not vice-versa.



But not in the sense the rest of the world thinks when they here the term 'walking'. The Wal-Mart near my hotel was only 100metres away, but impossible to walk to because of the road layout.

Walking to my clients site, the looks I got from drivers were amazing - they seemed aboslutely shocked that someone was actually using the pedestrian crossing (those push buttons that give pedestrians a 'Walk' sign to let them cross a junction)

When a hotel employee told us something was only 5mins away, and we asked 'Oh, so it it's walkable then?" she replied with such a level of incredulity and shock in her voice... "You wanna walk?!!!!??!!!"

I went for a walk for a few hours from my hotel, and car drivers just didn't know how to react. Even though I was a good few feet off the road (in the grass because typical of the america I've seen there are no footpaths/pavements/sidewalks as standard), they still swerved across the carriageway to avoid me. They clearly aren't used to pedestrians.

I was chatting to americans born and bred while over there, and they agreed that america, with the exception of possibly cities like New York where everything is close together and they have the underground, everywhere else, it's impossible to live without a car. And walking to the corner shop or your day to day job, is just not the done thing.



OK, I'll admit on this one that although I saw numerous gun shops, and numerous adverts for gun ranges, on a day-to-day basis, guns didn't seem to be all that prominent. Although whilst I was over there, the report into the Virginia shootings was released.



As I said above.... The whole time I was there on this occasion I did not switch the TV on. I agree, I learned quickly on previous visits, just how rubbish US TV is, so didn't feel it even worth turing the box on.

But anyway...

It's not the above aspects that are holding me back from suporting a grid I now percieve as american, but rather american foreign policy and it's cowboy treatment of other countries and cultures around the world. (As I said previously, whatever I think of america within it's borders is none of my business... it's perfectly entitled to be how it wishes when on american soil and I can respect that.... this would _not_ stop me contributing to WCG)

But my view of american foreign policy is why I possibly read more into the bias of the graphics than others do... a bias in the graphics, to me, is a reflection of the same attitude, disrespect, and level of inequality that america applies to other countries and cultures regarding it's foreign policy.

So,my reason for returning briefly, was to see if someone who is part of the 'management' or whatever you call it, had joined in to reaffirm the 'world' aspect of the grid.

My hopes were briefly raised... someone did appear... however then quickly dashed as well.

All though they said they'd look at the graphics, but there was no indication of any attempt to remove the american bias, nor any affirmation that any review or any future graphics should adhere to the 'world' aspect of the grid.

Anyway, if anyone's interested in me re-installing the WCG software on the 3 computers it was installed on, then in my opinion ...

WCG graphics (well, all of WCG, not just the graphics) should ... 'Remain neutral in their representation of countries and cultures, and at all times respect and promote the world community aspect of the grid'

Here's where I think it fails to do that at the minute...

[1] The comments on DDDT ... all from american chidren. I can understand why comments were added, but america is just one country out of roughly 250 ... so comments from american children should be roughly only 1 in 250 of the comments being shown (or representative of the countries affected by dengue, or representative of the different cultures that WCG I thought was hoping to bring together to contribute to the grid.).

[2] The division of countries on the maps... all other countries are shown at the country level.... america is shown to the state level. I don't mind which level is chosen (although sub-country level may help promote learning of other countries), but please be consistent from one country to the next.

[3] Similar to 2, when it shows non-american countries, they are shown in the context of their neighbours. America is shown as an island with 100% sea borders! Again, don't mind if you show countries in isolation, or in context, as long as each country is treated the same.

The only time it is justifiable to 'home-in' more on some country or countries is when the cause of a particular project is particularly related to that country. E.g. african climate modelling (which I've not yet seen) would be perfectly justified in showing just african countries, etc.

But Dengue isn't particularly a problem for america, so in this case I strongly object to america getting prominent treatment, and view this as a serious american bias ... to me it feels like americans expressing their view that their country is better or more important than everyone elses ... which I don't feel is appropriate for a world community grid.

And before anyone says it's the project people themselves that decide the graphics, I thought WCG was supposed to have a 'supervisory' panel or some such equivalent that oversaw the projects to ensure they were appropriate.

Since WCG automatically installs projects on peoples computers this overseeing role of the WCG team is vitally important in maintaining trust in the grid... the graphics that will be pushed onto peoples computers are just as important as the underlying projects that are pushed, and should require the same rigorous level of approval.

It was that very message I was refering to when I said...



Reason 1 ... A reduction to 50 from 100 (or whatever it was) makes no difference what so ever... it's still a 100% american..... I would be quite happy with 100 american comments, if they were in the context of roughly 100 other comments each from each of the roughly 250ish other countries and cultures around the world (doesn't need to be that precise, but it should at least show that a genuine effort for country/culture neutrality is being aimed for).

Reason 2 ... that post did not make any statement regards the goal of a 'world' community grid. They said they'd review the graphics, but no hint at all that achieving country and culture neutrality was going to be any part of that revision... no statement to clarify or reaffirm that WCG is supposed to be an international effort.

@fred456

I have no issue with the statement of the head-admin which to me needs no further dissecting. He speaks of "Based on the results of this experiment, we will keep our focus on research. Going forward, all information for a research project will pertain to that research project".

As for the graphics of AC@H. They were in no way a reverting to or a reaction to anything pertaining to discussions of DDD-T. A number of projects are developed in parallel and as again the head-admin stated about DDD-T "But like all experiments, some succeed and some fail. But if you don't try them, then nothing ever changes."

It takes much longer than the time between the 2 launches, barely more than a week, to design and test them. It's well known that past graphics have led to crashes, so require thorough testing. Any inference as were there adaptation are just inferences. I read none of the kind anywhere to substantiate any support in that direction.