= Simplified Attach =

== Current ==

Currently, attaching to a project involves several steps:

New volunteer case:

 * Visit the project web site (say, via a link in a news story).
 * Click on "Download" on the project site, taking you to the BOINC download page.
 * Click on "Download BOINC".
 * When the download is done, click on the installer
 * Click on "defaults" in the installer.
 * The Manager runs and brings up the Attach wizard.  Click on Add Project.
 * Find the project in the project list (hopefully you still remember its name).
   Note: if the project is new and is not in the list,
   you need to go back to its web site, find the URL,
   and copy/paste it into the wizard.
   New volunteers are unlikely to figure this out.
 * Click on New User
 * Enter email address and password.

A lot of steps; we lose a fraction of volunteers at each step.

Existing volunteer case:

 * Visit project web site; figure out what to do next
   (standard project front page doesn't say).
 * Open the BOINC Manager
 * Open Attach wizard
 * Click on Add Project
 * Find project in list
 * Click on New User
 * Enter password (email should be pre-populated).

== Proposed ==

This document describes a new scheme that simplifies both scenarios.

New volunteer case:

 * Visit project web site, click on "Join (download BOINC)".
   Download happens, browser remains on project web site (see below).
 * When download is done, click on installer.
 * Click on Defaults in installer
 * Manager runs and brings up Attach wizard at the "enter email/password" page;
   no need to select project etc.
   Enter email/password.

Existing volunteer case:
 
 * Visit project web site, click on "Join (already running BOINC)".
 * Taken to page saying "open BOINC Manager" and select Add Project.
 * When they do that, it brings up Attach wizard at "enter email/password" page.