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Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I participate in the World Community Grid?

You will be helping to solve problems to benefit all people in the future.

Is it safe to run the agent on my computer?

There are a number of security features built into the agent. All of the communication between the World Community Grid agent and the servers is protected by modern cryptographic algorithms. The agent can verify that it is communicating only with the World Community Grid servers. Also, the task data stored on the computer is encrypted, so that the results cannot be tampered with.

It should be noted that running any computer program that uses a network poses some measure of security risk. The World Community Grid agent has been designed to minimize this risk.

Why will my computer use more power if I run the agent?

Computer processors use more electrical power when they are doing calculations than when they are idle. It has been estimated that the increased cost of running the World Community Grid agent is about six dollars per year, depending on how many hours per week you your computer is powered on. (Note that if you increase the number of hours per week that your computer is on, then the cost will be higher.)

Do I have to keep my computer running all of the time?

No, the World Community Grid agent will keep track of its progress within the task that it is working on. When a computer is powered on and connected to the Internet, the agent will automatically continue where it left off the last time that it ran.

Why should I join the SUNY New Paltz team?

By joining the SUNY New Paltz team World Community Grid team, you are contributing to our point total, which demonstrates the commitment of the campus community to public service.

The World Community Grid web site also has a Getting Started frequently asked questions list.