Why are you folding?

[Leonardo]

1. it's a charity that I firmly believe in; I'm 'doing my part' to help humanity
2. history of Alzheimer's on my father's side of the family
3. I thoroughly enjoy the technical challenges of designing, building, and tuning computers to optimally employe the Folding clients
4. the competitive aspect is engaging for me

Summary: It's an activity where I can combine my desire to do good things and my primary hobby.

[jimerickson]

if i don't fold i don't feel right. addicted i guess.

[Stonecold]

I fold because it's the only way I can help medical science progress even when I'm not doing anything. I have a decent laptop, and a powerful desktop (and in about a week I'll be getting a kick-ass MainGear computer), and I just don't feel right leaving them off all the time (or at least idle). All that unused CPU load could go to helping research and cure diseases with (virtually) no extra cost to me. By the time FAH wears down my computer, it'll probably already be obsolete. Plus, knowing that 1 in 2 people get cancer and 1 in 4 die because of cancer, I think it would be in my best interest, and the best interest of billions of others, to run this project on my computer.

Basically, I do it because I can help people simply by keeping my computer running.

[Jesse_V]

Stonecold said it really well. Totally agree

[SASinUtah]

I too enjoy computers and tweaking them. I just replaced my old HTPC/Folding mainstay (Althon 64 X2 w/AMD video card) and my new build research priority was tilted heavily towards Folding versus HTPC (although the HTPC functions much better now than with the older system, but who uses a slightyly OC'ed 965 as an HTPC?). I enjoy the challange of the new build, am competative enough to enjoy watching points increase, enjoy being on the cutting edge of something (even if one doesn't understand half of the terms used..........ok, maybe 3/4 of the terms used), but more importantly, my mom passed away at 55. Only two of my children had any real time or opportunity with her; the other two were too young to remember her. Maybe this small contribution will one day help someone enjoy their grandparent longer than my children did. One can only hope.

[lectrocrew]

Because it's something good for my computers to do. But I'm also 'all-in' when it comes to helping find cures for diseases. I gave my mother her diabetes insulin shots since 1970, when I was 10, until 1994 when she died from ovarian cancer. Dad died in 2007 from lung cancer. Cancer also took uncles, aunts, grandparents and a few dear friends through the years. My sister has also been fighting a crippling disease for several years. I've been living with 2 terminal illnesses for 19 years now only because of the medicines that have bought me that time. That time was the result of research like FAH supports. So I owe many a day to trying to make what limited contributing I can to this cause. My many thanks to the guru's at Stanford, everyone running FAH, and to all the dedicated individuals in the world that use their talents for such a needed cause.
Mike

[hootis]

simple answer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQR1r1KTjaE
Also I'm a type 1 diabetic which is the main reason I started FAH and stay with it over setti@home or some of the other distributed computing projects

[RozSummer]

I primary reason I fold is because my Dad has multiple myeloma and so far has been able to stay one step ahead of the disease through careful monitoring by his doctors, but more critically through access to new therapies that are either experimental or just becoming generally available. In my opinion, all of us participating are blazing the trail of how new drugs, like the ones keeping my Father alive, will be discovered and further developed. Perhaps into the future, the therapies conceived via our collective dedication to folding will unlock the fundamentals of biology at the cellular level and will open the door to specifically customized treatments based on our own DNA profiles. I imagine a day in the future when me and my Dad walk into his Oncologists office where the Dr takes a blood sample, uploads it to a Stanford-like server farm where it gets distributed to a few hundred thousand computers and less than an hour, the results come back that describe the precise pathogenic disease profile and the exact combination, timing and dosing of the medicines to attack it. Every one of us contributing to FAH is laying the foundation for that future to become possible.

The other reason I fold is even more deeply personal. Everyone has challenges in life, whether it's personal, job related, family related health related, or maybe even some form of addiction. But when everything comes crashing down on you all at the same time, that small sliver of light that emerges from my association with this community and my folding contributions gives me hope, and even comfort. As challenging as life is right now, the fact is FAH lets me focus on something I can do where I have control, where devoting my time, effort and resources has some meaning and most importantly, they are valued. It makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something. And it makes sleep so much easier to come by. I see what we are doing, together, as a noble endeavor and I'm very proud to be part of it. The only bragging rights I give myself is knowing I'm doing the best I can to help, and in turn I'm sure you don't even realize it, but every one of you deserve bragging rights for helping me.

Thank you.

[HuntWarrior]

Because I thought it could contribute much to research for HD (Huntington's Disease), but feel a bit dasapointed so far.

Have a look at viewtopic.php?f=16&t=20872&p=225680#p225680

Hans
The Netherlands

[7im]

As noted in the other thread, work on HD continues. And Fah has never been a 2 year project. Solutions to complex problems take time.

I'm in it for the long term.

[HuntWarrior]

7im,

I am in it for the longterm too, but prefer a bit of speed for HD families, call it impatience and you'r absolutely right!

Rome was not build in one day either and all families deserve solutions or hope for their problems.

And yes it takes time, we cann't afford, losing your wife at it in 2002 after 15 years of care and a 28 year old daughter who is sick now, NEEDS you to be as active as possible.

Hans

[alancabler]

Hopefully, any small contribution made by my machine(s) may someday help uplift all of mankind. Started fairly early in the project, but knew then that anything discovered will likely bear fruit long after I'm gone... maybe next lifetime.

My machines aren't crunching away to:
1) prove/justify a "cure" for catastrophic anthropogenic climate disruption
2) make a profit with some tulip- auction experiment/scheme
3) find space aliens

[Jesse_V]

Hopefully, any small contribution made by my machine(s) may someday help uplift all of mankind. Started fairly early in the project, but knew then that anything discovered will likely bear fruit long after I'm gone... maybe next lifetime.

To the contrary, I firmly believe that drugs/cures/etc are far closer than that. F@h has already made a pretty large impact in the scientific literature. The drugs will likely be developed following publications that cite other publications that cite Folding@home's research. Someone has to do the underlying research, but whoever puts the final piece on the puzzle gets to put their name on the whole thing. At least we'll help accurate the process, which as you pointed out is not something that every distributed computing project can claim.

[road-runner]

For a cure to all these nasty diseases, if I live long enough I am sure I will have one also... Got introduced to it on a overclocking forum team and been doing some type of medical research with my computers since 03...

[HuntWarrior]

Hi all.
Science is a usualy long process, but there is a lot of similar things going on in several disease.
The approach in techniques can be learned from eachother inresearch for most important diseases, so yes all mentionned above is true.
I am impatient for a cure for Huntington's, as others are for Alzheimers and they DO have research similarities, so lets keep the faith and crunch on.
Still would like the idea to be able to pick your own or preferrred checkbox Wu's and yes ofcourse after those ones of your own priority, keep on (mis)folding to solve all other "enamies"