First post, I am not even up and running my client yet because I just found out about it today at work, will install at home; Very excited.

I am not much of a programmer so what I propose is over my head but I think it would be very fun and engaging if there were an API that allowed a user to create a separate account that used accumulated credits to buy equipment/upgrades for an avatar that could then be used in a weighted dice rolling game such as bite fight or BOTS II (I think most users here would agree that the latter is a better model given the computerized nature of the project) albeit much simpler. Maybe this is not the kind of suggestions you are looking for but I think it would be a great way to market this to gamers who are one of the best candidates to have high powered computers that they aren't using when they are at school or work.

Also, there is a chance that I don't understand how the API credit statistic websites would work or if there is any purpose for the credits other than tracking user contributions.

I would love to hear your comments.

It's even best, in my humble opinion, that the BOINC credits stay without weight. As long as they can't be traded in for anything, they have no real life value.

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Thanks for the info. I reviewed the faq and wiki on credits but I feel like I am still missing something that would prevent credits from being used as a promotional device. The only thing I would see that could speak against it would be that it would encourage people to get credits rather than having the accurate computation of work units be the goal and this could create a conflict of interest were someone could take it upon themselves to try and cheat or hijack computers on the internet as you mentioned.

I don't think that a browser game would inspire any of this activity since it would just be a way for people that are in to games to have a way of, in the words of the faq, "brag with and show off how good your computer is". As far as the cheating by adding BOINC to new computers and your boss' computers, I think that would be great and serve the mission of BOINC. I guess I am saying that not everything that is fun has to take skill it just has to be engaging to those that are interested.

Create this project and then tell us about it.

I like the concept David is suggesting, but it could be used in other ways that might be a good promotional tool.

Yes, the credit has zero real life value, and that's the way it should be!

But... If i had a fictitious BOINC project with 3 or 4 thousand users and i had a small amount of cash to spare. Here is a way to boost your numbers and promote your project.

Offer token promotional gestures to crunchers based on time or on credit. Real life stuff like stationary, pens, mugs, t-shirts and other rubbish like that. It would be just a token to say thank you and would be limited to 1 or 2 items per cruncher or per home mail address.

If i crunch 50,000 credits, i get a "Project Name" pen

If i crunch 200,000 credits, i get a "Project Name" Mug

If i crunch 1,000,000 credits, i get a "Project Name" t-shirt

But you would also include something based on CPU time for people with small computers so they could get a mug or pen also. To claim the item, you fill in your home address and the project will sent you your item.

For $1,000, the price of an average computer, this would be an excellent incentive to crunch and spread the word about your project. Users could also "Buy" the items if they wanted to contribute to the project, a bit like the seti store.

John.

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I agree there needs to be a medium of interest.

Games are so high end nowadays anyone who plays could not possibly be entertained for long due to overexposure.

But, remember those gigapets??? Little LCD handheld thingie for kids, you feed your pet take care of it, walk it, etc...

It would be cool to take credits and buy virtual BOINC pets.
Then it would take credit to feed the pet, pay for rent, buy it a pet house?
Then if you were credit rich, buy another BOINC pet, and have different kinds of pets that cost different. cats, dogs, UFO's, republicans... =)
Then when you have the most pets on the block, buy a BOINC kennel.

Those who have major credit could display it by owning a BOINC kennel,
where you could custom design your pets from simple web based application,
and others could see your mass of pets dependent on your crunching skills to bring home the bacon!

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