Aborting a (lot of) WUs - without 'consequences'?

Sorry, not to report for some quite time.

But I guess this was in the end a good thing after all. Why? To read all of the answers and reply to all of them at once.

I think my message was a bit misunderstood.

1. I did NEVER use a word 'PUNISHMENT' when such things happen. And I did not 'point a finger' into anyone at any time.

2. With 'consequences' I simply implied a 'scenario' (which at my knowledge did NOT occur, but nevertheless at seeing what I described, it made me simply curious and that was the reason for a question, not for proposing what SHOULD be done) in which a person XY receives hundreds of WUs, aborts them for no apparent reason, gets a hundred NEW WUs and does the same again.

Certainly we agree, that if:

A) Such things happen repeatedly for no apparent reason;
B) If let us say such XY person is not ONE individual, but several ones ore even more;

That this will have some negative consequences. But what or even if anything should be done in such a case is not my business, nor I have the necessary skill even to propose a course of action (or if it is needed).

The SOLE reason in writing my message was CURIOSITY, because I've NEVER seen such a thing happen on such a LARGE scale and that REPEATEDLY.

I also pointed out TWICE, that we all experience 'scenarios', when for such or another reason we 'must' (or that is the best course of action) abort WUs.

And the example I've been given in the first reply is certainly a completely VALID reason and there was also absolutely no reason to apologise to me for something, that happened also to me (not to mention various other reasons I sometimes have, not only in E@H, but also in other projects to do so).

But as I understand threads are here for asking questions?

Aren't they?

And this is the ONLY thing I've done (although my choice of words was maybe poorly chosen - English is not my native language), there was not even a SLIGHT intent to make objections or even accusations on anyone, because I know too little, about how the whole process even works.

Anyway, thank you for the answers from all and apologies, if I was misunderstood in the intent of why my first message was even written.

Regards.

Denis

Thank You, I really appreciate your opinion.

I think the same way and even think that the importance of such forums is more often than not under-appreciated.

Why? At least in my experience from other project(s) forum(s) - no need to go into detail - but at one point, instead of being an example of what you perfectly described in ONE sentence, it literately turned into a 'tool' of verbal abuse and a place of 'double standards' (where some individuals 'exploited' their status and knowledge in very disappointing way to say at least).

In spite of being a volunteer even before BOINC came into existence (for SETI - if I'm not mistaken - more than for 10 years), one SINGLE such event almost brought me to the state, when I was willing to leave EVERYTHING in connection with BOINC behind.

I was even surprised at my own (over)reaction (being an ER physician and used to pretty much everything...).

But EXACTLY that was the source of my reaction I suddenly realised.

It was a kind of a 'deja vu'. In a way, where some people exploit their 'privileged' positions to reach their goals (whatever they may be) or use it as an 'excuse' to have the right to insult someone without consequences. And the people in charge, who could and should have done something to prevent such things, rather look the other way in the 'greater interest'. Nothing new. Even common in 'my world'.

But to experience something similar (at least in a way that reminded me of such 'practices' and where suddenly 'The Code of conduct' was nothing more than a formality with no practical use) at a place, which should be a definition of cooperation at expense of no one was a little bit too much for me.

And yes. That was my problem and I may have overreacted. But no matter from which perspective someone looks at such 'events', it certainly does not help to gain volunteers, rather the opposite.

I excuse myself for such a long reply. It does not even belong in this thread (a personal message would be better), but I think, no harm was done.

All I wanted, was to express the importance of what you summarised excellent in one sentence and show with a personal experience (by pointing at no individual or project explicitly) how really important such forums can be in a positive sense, but also 'dangerous', if not used properly, with some regard to people, who aren't scientists, don't have proper knowledge, do sometimes ask 'stupid' questions and make other mistakes, but more than enough, they overcome those 'shortcomings' with their willingness to help, enthusiasm and curiosity with one intention only:

To help in a common effort, that is much bigger than every single one of us is!

Regards.

Denis