I think you are expecting too many big results in too little of time. That is just my opinion. I actually found out that one of my uncles had contributed to WCG many years ago after posting a link from WCG that has been inactive for a long time. He says he "may" return at some point, but it had nothing to do with WCG for him leaving. Badges are only one step towards the goal. There are highly motivated individuals when it comes to badges. Look how many flocked to spend hours watching videos at Wildlife@home just to get a badge. To summarize your cause to point failure at WCG at every turn by using individual situations and then criticizing their actions when things are implemented isn't helpful either.

You say they do nothing. Here I showed they did something. My point is that you are demanding too much too quick. This "problem" is not a quick and simple fix.

What I'm trying to do is point out a pattern of neglect and indifference which has been amply demonstrated by the long slow exodus of volunteers over the past 5-6 years - a fact that is stark and undeniable.

That decrease in active users didn't happen overnight. It was a process that took years and what have been the responses to it? Nothing of any note until last year when IBM presumably forced WCG to try to get to the root of the problem.

But because the failed to involved the community in deciding what issues should even be included in the survey, it ended up creating no meaningful results. I'm sure some of the enhancements would be welcomed by new users if we could actually attract some, but the rapid decline seems to continue unabated. So the idea of giving things time to work isn't really feasible.

First you need to create something that people want to be a part of. That starts with the forum not the website and the forum has been completely ignored in the redesign. After than you need to make an effort to promote what you do as widely as possible. But that takes time, effort and manpower that needs to come from IBM. I don't doubt that the staff could do more in this regard but it's not what they were hired for and it's not their area of expertise. Still, someone needs to do it.

But as to my expectations, I really don't have any. I know that nothing is going to change and whatever I have to say has as much effect as spitting into a hurricane. That's fine. I'm simply playing the role of commentator at this point and chronicling the failures that will eventually lead to one of 2 outcomes. Either WCG will continue to shrink until it's not even worth it for scientists to run projects here. Or something drastic will be done about how WCG is administered and promoted. I would like to see the latter outcome but I fully expect the former.

Every week a facebook post seems to be made with the number of new members such for instance on sep 26, 2014 this got released.

966 new volunteers joined World Community Grid this week - WOW! Welcome everyone! Have you recruited any new members yet? Be sure to use your personalized invitation link and get recognized for your efforts:

From when to when is this calculated and what is the data reference, internal or a public accessible ´community´ page? The date of the facebook post is always on friday it appears, suggesting it's a friday-thursday calculation.

When going by the global community page , that members number is supposedly based on those that have at least returned 1 result, good, bad or ugly. On the 18th, the number was 676493 and on the 25th it ended with 677001. The difference is 508. How to get from 508 to 966? The oct 3 fb post says 560, where i get 504 for the friday to thursday period, going from 677001 to 677505.

Je ne comprends pas.

OK, so if 947,718 is the latest account registration id, i'd not bet on this representing a successful actual wcg kit boinc installation, and 678,287 is the latest community number for members with a result, the 'gross' difference is 269,431 at least without a result. That's down right horrible.

The focus in my book should clearly be first thing on why members can't get passed the account registration, never start contributing and why they stop as a secondary focus. Get that wcg logo'd coffee mug on desks

lavaflow, that is exactly what I was saying above in post #14. I think the users are just finding the setup procedure just too much as an inconvenience or too daunting. I know that I hate setting up accounts for everything I have to do on the internet and can totally relate to this inconvenience.