Stardust at home not very fun any more

[flashgordon]

Howdy,

At first I thought this would be very fun, but about 25% of the movies are calibration movies This makes it terrible when I am trying to find something and then oops I picked a trail that wasn't a trail. I think you would rather be on the side of maybe something not being a trail then someone missing a trail because they were worried about the scores. They even have ways to tell if its a calibration movie. They have a list of which movies are what. This isn't a game and the scores seem to be for the elite that have hundreds of hours per week and nothing else to do. I keep seeing huge numbers and I still don't know how the scoring is even done. My score shows that there are 287 people who are ahead of me. I have done about 1800 slides not including the several hundred slides which are calibration. To improve, at least show a few more calibration of the trails that go across the screen (there is one example of the large trail.

Flash Gordon

[mwhiz]

nobody's making you dust... though it's sad to see someone quit after less than a week!

[Nikita]

Hi FlashGordon!

We just introduced our kids to the movie, our 3 year old will go around the house singing "Flash! Ahh, Ahh"!

Rule number one: Have fun! If you aren't, perhaps take a break away, we'll be here waiting for you when you get back! (It's addicitive, support group forum will begin when this ends!)

Your concerns are listened to and the Stardust team is working on them. They just have a lot going on and are doing the best they can. Hopefully things will get better. It's hard to walk away when you like it and want to help, but are frustrated as well.

I hope to see you enjoying it again soon!

[petterip]

This isn't a game and the scores seem to be for the elite that have hundreds of hours per week and nothing else to do.

You're right, this isn't a game. And I've got only an hour or two per day maximum since I got a lot more things to do in my life. Which is good - my eyes would get sore from watching hour after hour to focus movies...

On this topic, Uwe pointed out the following:

What worries me more is, if the cheaters will influence the findings of the honest searchers.
Tell me, if i understand this right: If i scan through all the movies and really try to find tracks in the "real movies" I will add to the findings list and sometime if several agree with me, we found something, you will have a closer look at it.

So if someone only scans the calibration movies, he will NOT influence the real work we all try to do ?

This is important to me, as I don't like the idea of cheaters influencing the important findings of the rest of us.
Besides, to me the high score thing is of no real concern.
I would be proud of a certificate stating, i really found some unique piece of stardust, if I am on rank 1 or 3000 i really don't care.
If I find that unique piece of stardust: Man, that's a thing !

Greetings
Uwe

And for me the Stardust@home presents a *real* opportunity to participate in science, particulary in field of astronomy, which as sole is fascinating! And when the results will show up in the media and scientific publications, I can say "hey, I've been working with that project, too" or "that's results from a project I've been part of"!

And I just can't wait to have my first real track to show up

[flashgordon]

Howdy,

I always have fun. Sometimes I just need to get serious for a short time. Usually I get serious when my wife asks a question. But I can never seem to give her the right answer. I told her the answer was 42 and she looked at me strangely. I guess she never saw the hitch hikers guide to the universe. I will keep on trying to make fun of everything. By the way who would I talk to about the sensitivity score. I tried to make it out but I show 89% with 650 correct and 49 incorrect. Where and how to they do the calculations.

Flash Gordon

PS I got the nickname being about 5' 6" and about 90 pounds and on the track. 2nd quickest on the track team. Once clocked a 4 minute mile.

[mwhiz]

here's the definitions your looking for (how they calculate the stats and all): http://stardustathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/definitions.php

[petterip]

Usually I get serious when my wife asks a question.

Been there, done that

[flashgordon]

Howdy,

Yup I fergot to calqlate the ones that didn't have ones when I said they did. The slides are wrong cus I is never ever wrong.

Flash Gordon

[captainkirk]

I have to say, this is totally cool! I made the top 100 the first night. Since then, I've been totally slipping back. Still it's amazing that out of 8000 some participants, I am still in the top 450. Even more exciting is the number of agreements I get on the tracks I think I see. It would be so cool to have been the first to see one of these, although I don't have my hopes up. But when I get an hour or two, I just get on and watch these movies. I must be doing something right at 100% and 97%.

I wish the calibration movies were marked, though so we'd take a few more chances on the actual movies. I think that would be a more honest approach.

Anyway, just wanted to say, I AM Having FUN. (but staying up tooo late)

[icebike]

Howdy,

At first I thought this would be very fun, but about 25% of the movies are calibration movies This makes it terrible when I am trying to find something and then oops I picked a trail that wasn't a trail.

Terrible?
Its not Terrible, it a reminder, a re-focuser, something to train your brain and eyes, its..., its..., what's the word,... Its Calibration!
Terrible? Nah, its helpful.

I think you would rather be on the side of maybe something not being a trail then someone missing a trail because they were worried about the scores. They even have ways to tell if its a calibration movie. They have a list of which movies are what. This isn't a game and the scores seem to be for the elite that have hundreds of hours per week and nothing else to do.

As has been posted on many other threads, don't worry about those driving for high numbers. They don't mean a thing. Not to you, not to the project. They can't affect the outcome one way or the other.

Don't look at the scores. Just pay attention to your own accuracy percentages. Don't worry about how many hours some one else puts in, just do as much as you can without it taking over your life, or burning you out. Comets have been running around the universe for millions of years. There is no rush.

I keep seeing huge numbers and I still don't know how the scoring is even done. My score shows that there are 287 people who are ahead of me. I have done about 1800 slides not including the several hundred slides which are calibration.

Clearly it bothers you to look at these scores. So don't.
You said yourself "it isn't a game". So why look at the scores?
Do your best in the time you have available.

I hereby free you from having to look at the scores.

Note: Remember that families or entire class-rooms can be using the same account at the same time. Why try to compete with an entire class room of Summer Science students?

To improve, at least show a few more calibration of the trails that go across the screen (there is one example of the large trail.

The design of the collector made these cross-screen trails unlikely to begin with. And these are easy to spot. Maybe that is why they decided to get our help finding the hard to find stuff.

[icebike]

I have to say, this is totally cool! I made the top 100 the first night. Since then, I've been totally slipping back.

But, But, But...

Think about it, Kirk! Is it perhaps posts like this one that drive others to despair and disenchantment?

Does it perhaps suggest to others that they are slackers and not doing their fair share because regardless of how much time they carve out of
their day, there is someone else with more time on their hands, a faster internet connection, and fewer family commitments?

I'm happy you're happy about your score, but I'm not sure that score boasting is the most helpful thing to do.

I wish the calibration movies were marked, though so we'd take a few more chances on the actual movies.

On the contrary, I wish you had absolutely no way to tell a CM from a RM. Then you would give each movie an honest evaluation.

[Orion_0169]

Which gets back to my suggestion of resetting scores for every new batch of movies.

[entropydave]

...yep. ignore the scores! It's a gas being part of a great project - I don't care whether I find a track or not - it's just nice to say that in a very small way I had an involvement and that's enough for me!

I have a good sized meteorite collection and usually "the bigger the better" - this is the first time I have looked for IDPs and so I guess it would be nice to have my monicker associated with the smallest space rocks around!
I wish us all the best of luck!

[templar781]

Howdy,

At first I thought this would be very fun, but about 25% of the movies are calibration movies This makes it terrible when I am trying to find something ...
Flash Gordon

First off, thanks for trying, every little bit helps. Secondly re-read the intro where it says if this isn't fun you're not doing it right. That's not a knock on you it just shows that your intrests may lie elsewhere. There's a reason that there are people here who have drudged through thousands of movies and are asking for more. They love science and they want to be a part of it. Yes there are some who are just ringing up a score, but the scientific process will weed them out and I be that those people will be the first to go.
For a little inspiration you might try reading about Clyde Tombaugh who discovered Pluto by painstakingly comparing photographic plates to see changes in the background pattern of stars. He surmised that if he could see a "star" move from one plate to the next then the object should be close to earth and may be a planet. His comparison technique is still used today to sort through mountains of astronomical data and find intersting movements of stars and galaxies. You can read more about him here http://www.klx.com/clyde/nmsu.html.

[Atus]

I don't think that scoring is a bad thing, but definitely not the viewed calibration movies should be the base but the accuracy of the calibration movies. The better accuracy ratio on a higher number of movies could / should be better than the same accuracy with lower movie, or the same movie number but lower percentage.
This way new but accureat members could go high, and not feel themself bad because they started later.