Some thoughts after reading this thread.
What I think is missed here is the many motives people bring with them when they "crunch"
I'll just talk from my own perspective and maybe some of you feel the same.
What started me way way back in SETI( when it was the only DC app) was a competitive nature and a desire to put my "monster" 700mhz slot A AMD system to work.(This is 2001)
I figured I'd help find ET if he exists and have a little fun at the same time.
Skip forward a few years to 2005
I'd gotten VERY involved in high end computing and discovered folding at home. Tried it, didn't care for it for personal reasons but I wanted a way to help the next generation live healthier lives and that little kid who loved competition still existed inside the rapidly aging body.
Then in November 2005 I found XtremeSystems.
It was like finding a world full of people that thought the same as I did in terms of high end computing but they weren't very big into the DC apps as a whole. A small percentage were and those that were are some of the most intense DC people you will find.
I found a home and tried to motivate others there to do the DC work. All I'll say on the guys and ladies there is that there are some of the best people you will ever meet and thats no bull.

The "trying to help" is the main motivator and the reason for doing this but also there are the competitions, the friendships with excellent people and yes, I feed my desire to work with high end machines.
It is all of these factors that keep me involved but they have to be seen in perspective.
Badges are nice but not the reason to do this.
Would I like to see my FAAH badge show that I've put XX years into that particular app? Sure, but not to the point that it really matters to me.
I guess what I'm trying to get across is "Don't sweat the small stuff" my friends.
Take a relaxed look at all the side issues and keep focused on the main point of getting the work done in the least amount of time.
Thanks for reading.

@ Movieman....

Great post...agreed and

Though he makes mistakes and more than he'd like to acknowledge, he makes less than others, so bet you he spend time in coming up with that number ;>)

No this is pseudo quantification from observation, but I do know that WCG numbers are A typical of BOINC wide numbers though. Only when you know the numbers can you talk to the numbers, and I talk allot

But that was not the object of the badges, skgiven. Don't anticipate there to ever be a change what badges represent up or down.

We honor the small and the great. The great through the daily/cumulative ordered to size member contributions where the top 5000 find their spotlight and to get onto that list you need presently more than

Time 6:316:00:08:30
Results 8,521
Points 3,980,283

Any Q6600 does this in a year for points.

And for all there will be the certificates wence they find implementation. For the remainder, refer to movieman's sentiments on this topic.

Right. So if you need that infurmation, use the point system, not the badges...



But you are rewarded with a cheaper power bill... :-)



I can't imagine that any normal user will buy a new computer only because of WCG badges.