There are many, many instances of forum members helping people with myriad issues ... some relating to heat/cooling/noise ... some relating to drivers/setups/configs ... others relating to confusion about what FAH actually is and how it works ... and there are significant numbers of threads where people are helping each other through technical issues and spread knowledge as they can ... for every thread I spot that might be considered elitist I see many more where people are just trying to help, and I see the occasional one where someone simply wants to say FAH is S&*t and why aren't you all mining bitcoins as that is the sensible thing to do !!
Yes there are a core of people who strive to have the best, fastest, kit who believe that WUs should be prioritised to the kit that turns around the Science the fastest - feel free to read my posts (and those of numerous other people) that speak out against that
and don't mentioned to me on the "relay team" metaphor people use to support these views
... On the flip side of the coin there are people who want (for very understandable reasons) to fold on kit that which may be old or underpowered in someway, or don't have the capabilities to utilise the current folding cores, and are simply not able to turn around the science at the speed currently necessary to return WUs before the expiry deadlines ... But there are people on this forum who try really hard to help people get to the point where they can do this, or explain as simply as can be done why their kit isn't able to fold.
You are absolutely right that slim/ultraportable device outsell draggable heavy laptops - no-one has disputed this as far as I am aware ... but laptops are simply one type of kit that folds an expanding market for sure and one that does bring its challenges (heat, noise, not always on) and these needs to be looked at, and if possible addressed ... and FAH has many, many, many issues with all types of other kit, and the infrastructure behind it, and the science that needs to be done, and the development and support structure, and the recent amazing swell of support and new folders which has rapidly overwhelmed the old ways of working which had been build on decades of enthusiast support ... this is what the forums have always been, an outlet for enthusiasts to try to guide people new to folding through some of the mess from their own experiences of having been through the same learning curve ... with limited resources and a not huge pool of folders FAH was what it was - an enthusiasts platform donating compute resource for scientists who didn't have access to anything better ... and there are many lessons to be learnt about how the current surge of new folders has been addressed - no one would have planned it this way - but it has happened.
People who help on this forum are not trained support staff, they simply try to help and I guess sometimes the way they try may not come over right to other people ... The nature of the beast that has evolved is that some things are fairly complex technically (sometimes for no better reason than it evolved that way) and explaining these in terms that make sense to others who may not have either the technical background or the experience with their kit to necessarily fully grasp why "odd" decisions may have been made in the past doesn't help one iota ... Some peoples "style" verges on the abrupt - others wax lyrical (or try to) - some people are blunt, others soften the blow and I guess that is simply where we are today ... Are the forums the right way to support FAH? - I don't know, but at the moment it is what we seem to have and I try to help as I can.
Personally (and I am really glad it wasn't my call) I might have actually put in place some form of "qualifications for entry" - not to be elitist, far from it actually - simply to try and protect potential folders from some of the dangers/pitfalls/costs/issues that enthusiasm and a desire to help and be part of "Fighting Covid-19" might have left them unaware of ... but it wasn't my call and I am fairly sure it wouldn't have worked, and it would have had to be sorted damn quick, but hey it wasn't ... instead a more than significant number of new folders have been able to install/fold/return WUs with little/no problems ... yes, an equally significant number may well have installed the software (or tried to) and then decided it wasn't for them and removed it - a nicer tooling and better web/social media presence may have retained a good few of these - and their loss is a loss to the science without doubt - but the folders who have been able to get on with it have been a massive gain.
Forums are always "tricky", people tend to come to them when things aren't the way they want them to be or when they need help ... and these can be emotive, stressful times for both the people needing assistance and for those trying to help ... For the most part I have seen far, far less abuse/insults/negativity on these forums than others I have frequented, but is it perfect - absolutely not.
The potential of laptops (and lower powered desktops, and Intel GPUs, and Phones) needs to be properly explored ... There will always be hard decisions for the FAH team to make as a balance needs to be found, or a way of balancing needs to be found that works the scientific approach (currently) a need for fast turn around of WUs (at least at the moment) with the use of masses of machines that are simply "slower" for whatever reason ... Decisions need to be made by those who have to find the balance and who have control of the resources ... I hope that going forward that if enough support for FAH sticks around that resource will be found to develop a much more polished and coherent experience than has been able to be developed to date.
Communications and "induction" is way overdue for an overhaul to help potential folders have a fuller understanding of the challenges that folding can bring - much of it exists and is scattered around the forums in the various threads helping people but a forum structure that "forces" people to at least be aware of a clearer up front statement might help - as would people actually reading any of the existing guidance and searching existing threads?
You have your view on the sentiment of this forum and you feel passionately about it which is good - I have mine, I see a lot of people trying really hard to get through a wholly unique and difficult situation getting told that FAH in a surprisingly helpful and well mannered way ... Will FAH change, yes I am sure it will ... Will it address your concerns over the current sentiment, I really hope it does because it needs to ... Will FAH be able to provide instantly working solutions for every type of kit, whilst I will not hold my breathe for this it would be awesome if it did.
I apologise if anything I personally have said it this post, in other my other posts on this topic, or anything other post I have made in these forums has added to you views about the sentiment within the forums and FAH - This has sincerely not been my intention in any way.
Please stick around, challenge as you have done where you feel FAH and/or these forums are not addressing points/views/issues you feel are valid - because that is how things will change.
Thank You for giving me the opportunity to write this ... and a final apology that this missive is so long.
