How many users do a work unit.

[7im]

Cant they ban there IP address and username if they keep cherry picking?

They don't disclose their full arsenal of weapons, but yes, that is a likely option.

Hard core picking is obvious. But maybe it's not so easy to distinguish between the recreational picker from problematic hardware. Then again...

[bruce]

Aww, yea makes sense now, they need to ban the cherry pickers also...

Great idea. How do you propose they do that?

(. . . other than removing bonuses when the success rate falls below 80% -- I'd say that's a big step in the right direction.)

Cant they ban there IP address and username if they keep cherry picking?

Of course. There are a number of ways to punish somebody, but as Rattledagger points out, there's no way to tell WHY a WU was not returned -- whether intentional or non-intentional -- unless you can teach the servers to read minds. When you depend on volunteers, you have to be very carful about deciding to punish someone.

I have no doubt that some of the people reading this topic are cherrypickers, though most of you are not. (I can't tell which ones are which.) If you happen to be one of the cherrypickers please reply by signing something like the following:

Code: Select all

I hereby admit that I'm a FAH cherrypicker and I'm voluntarily agreeing to stop damaging the project in any of a number of ways that I might know about.  If, at some time in the future, I do resume my unethical ways, I hereby promise to accept being banned graciously and that I will not blame everything on somebody else if that happens.

Yours truly,
X

[kiore]

Bruce instead of the AA style approach to cherry pickers "Hi my name is X and I am a cherrypicker.." or the punishments outlined above surely the best and fairest way is to extend the bonus program. From a user point of view this seems to have been a success, I was actually surprised at how few units fail especially on the new A3s. 'Accidental' hardware problems are dealt with by the 24/24 shutdown system. Even a modest bonus for maintaining 80%+ would surely give pause for thought for those who regularly cherrypick.

Addit maybe this has become topic of its own, deserving its own thread.