Here's my 2p:

Before the new badges came in I had top badges in all current projects (with the exception of Beta, which is fair enough). With the new badges, the 2 year target for sapphire and with DDDT and CEP both slated to finish in a few months time, I know that I don't have the power to get up to the top badge in these projects.

I don't think that this is a bad thing though.... it's really only a small fraction of crunchers who come to the forums and who are aware of their contributions earning them badges. Many of the people who are on the forum would be considered "power crunchers", a significant amount represent the vast majority of crunchers with 1 or 2 machines, and then there are people like me who sit somewhere in the middle. Given that the badges are only really for the small group of WCG members, I think it's nice that we can show the additional contribution made by different people.

Personally, it does not bother me that I won't be able to get the top badges in BOTH DDDT and CEP but I now have a recognised 180-day and 1-year target that I can aim for rather than just making up my own arbitary targets. I'm all for the new badges.

One minor niggle though... the Sapphire is too dark... any chance of a lighter blue?

Here's something that came with the new goodies. Before the badges summed to 3.25 years, with 12.5 racked up. Now 8.25 years and a few are not far away from being upped to the current top badge.

Meantime all the mentions of reds, blues and greens, feels as if I was teleported to the local pharmacist... I prefer the yellows

personaly me and my wife talked about it and we have decided to go for 1 sapphire badge (and bronze on any new targets untill further debate) once we get to 2 years on our target (those curious will have to wait a few months to see what one we have picked or till i say somewere else) but every new project has the chance to change our mind on what to work on next or so... I like and dislike the new badges.. alot of people will just be unable to get to the high end badges on there computers do to the simple fact you cant do 2 years in a few months without alot of computers.. and most of us dont have alot of computers/processers.

like the badges but its going to be an intresting race for alot of people who have 90-93 days on all projects cause they were going for the gold only...

Anyone else feel bad about dedicating an entire machine to run CEP WUs and nothing else, all for changing badge colors? It seems ironic that the machine is consuming "dirty" energy trying to find clean energy sources.