litecoin pool?

[Zstream]

I'm currently using ozcoin.net but I'm not 100% it's really trustworthy. Is there anyone else out there using a litecoin pool and site?

 

[Zstream]

Anyone?

 

[nwo]

www.wemineltc.com is what I am using and probably more than half of LTC community is using.

 

[ultimatebob]

I'm liking http://give-me-coins.com/ so far. Seems better than Coinotron and Burnside's Pool, anyway.

 

[AE-Ruffy]

im using give-me-coins

so far i've gotten my payouts quickly/properly.
Just started, at .5 lc at 400khash

 

[SunnyD]

mine-litecoin.com

Website seems to have its ups and downs, but the backend is fine.

Of course, if ya'll want to be abso-stupidly-stupid, I could start up a pool server and host "AnandPool" if you want. :biggrin:

 

[cbrunny]

I use coinhuntr.com

Smaller, but so far "lucky" and growing fast.

 

[petrusbroder]

Hmmm, is litecoin-, bitcoin etc-coin mining really distributed computing?
I always had the impression (for the last dozen years) that distributed computing is solving a big scientific problem (e.g. protein folding, searching for signals in space, solving physics problem) by splitting this problem into small chunks (WUs = Work units), crunching those WUs and sending the results back for further analysis.
Most of us crunch, fold, prime for the "greater good" (i.e. science) and the sake of competition and not for profit ...
Yes, we may seem quite (economically) stupid because we invest in fast computers, in electrical power, fast internet access and gain nothing except a lot of fun, some respect among our peers and the satisfaction of having contributed - although often in a small way - to science.
To me, in this forum, is seems new and a little strange to see threads of coin mining, which I see as "for profit". I don't mind theses threads if they are about distributed computing ... but if not, I ask myself, if this is the right forum for these threads ...

 

[SunnyD]

Hmmm, is litecoin-, bitcoin etc-coin mining really distributed computing?
I always had the impression (for the last dozen years) that distributed computing is solving a big scientific problem (e.g. protein folding, searching for signals in space, solving physics problem) by splitting this problem into small chunks (WUs = Work units), crunching those WUs and sending the results back for further analysis.
Most of us crunch, fold, prime for the "greater good" (i.e. science) and the sake of competition and not for profit ...
Yes, we may seem quite (economically) stupid because we invest in fast computers, in electrical power, fast internet access and gain nothing except a lot of fun, some respect among our peers and the satisfaction of having contributed - although often in a small way - to science.
To me, in this forum, is seems new and a little strange to see threads of coin mining, which I see as "for profit". I don't mind theses threads if they are about distributed computing ... but if not, I ask myself, if this is the right forum for these threads ...

I was actually thinking the same thing, and was laughing when I popped in and saw threads here about it.

Honestly, mining itself is most definitely not DC. "Pool mining" at best is vaguely DC, since you're distributing your resources within a pool of miners and you all share the economies of scale to an extent. Does it fit the definition of distributed computing? I think one could argue that it does. I don't think it really fits the spirit of it at all though.

 

[petrusbroder]

These threads are quite new in this forum, and we are used to polite arguments ...
I agree that pool-mining is a kind of DC ...

But then there is the "spirit of DC". One can always argue one way or the other but, looking at the history of DC, DC for profit (there have been some few projects) have never been very successful in this forum or in "TeAm AnandTech".

On the other hand, we are a bunch of openminded gals and guys, some of us oldtimers, but still openminded.

Anyhow, a good discussion is always welcome!

 

[SunnyD]

These threads are quite new in this forum, and we are used to polite arguments ...
I agree that pool-mining is a kind of DC ...

But then there is the "spirit of DC". One can always argue one way or the other but, looking at the history of DC, DC for profit (there have been some few projects) have never been very successful in this forum or in "TeAm AnandTech".

On the other hand, we are a bunch of openminded gals and guys, some of us oldtimers, but still openminded.

Anyhow, a good discussion is always welcome!

And I completely agree - people are trying to cash in completely for their wallets. Who can blame them with what has happened to virtual currencies over the last year?

It's also why I only half-jokingly offered up to look into starting up a pool for AnandTech forum people. We could potentially use some of the proceeds (fee) to:

#1 - donate to the forum/management, since we'd be using their name
#2 - further other DC causes
#3 - charity?
#4 - ...
#5 - PROFIT!

But I fear in doing so, we'd take away from the hobbyist nature of DC and relegate it to an afterthought around here, which isn't something I'd want to do to what's actually a helpful community. Plus it would end up polluting the DC community with some unwanted headaches too, so that's another consideration.

 

[petrusbroder]

Well said!

 

[xodusgenesis]

I use hashfaster and that seems like a well managed pool. 0% fees also help.

 

[Sunny129]

IMO online currency mining technically is distributed computing for the vast majority of miners out there. after all, a majority of miners participate in coin pools (groups of miners who pool their resources to mine currency and thus also share the profits generated). as such, individual miners receive and crunch small pieces of work that, when completed, are returned to the central coin pool server and pieced back together to make a Bitcoin/Litecoin/etc, or part of one anyways. so if you define distributed computing as any kind of computing that is distributed over mulitple networks and/or multiple hosts, then online currency mining qualifies.

that said, while the benefits might be nice for the DC forum, i too would be reluctant to see an AnandPool start around here, as i have the same fears and reservations that SunnyD does about it...

 

[mkrohn]

IMO online currency mining technically is distributed computing for the vast majority of miners out there. after all, a majority of miners participate in coin pools (groups of miners who pool their resources to mine currency and thus also share the profits generated). as such, individual miners receive and crunch small pieces of work that, when completed, are returned to the central coin pool server and pieced back together to make a Bitcoin/Litecoin/etc, or part of one anyways. so if you define distributed computing as any kind of computing that is distributed over mulitple networks and/or multiple hosts, then online currency mining qualifies.

that said, while the benefits might be nice for the DC forum, i too would be reluctant to see an AnandPool start around here, as i have the same fears and reservations that SunnyD does about it...

Of course its distributed computing... We have identical issues with building and heat.

My rack I built and the added electical circuits along with fans and all that are exactly the same kind of thing all of the SETI and others go through.

Forget those charity cases... My warm and fuzzy feeling comes in the form of $$$$ which yes its not bad to drop $2500 on computer hardware and have all of that money back 2 weeks later to just double up your rigs. There are a few coins that have come across that use the backbones for the non profit stuff if you want to contribute to science but guess what, just donate some coins to science/charity and call it a day?

 

[SunnyD]

Of course its distributed computing... We have identical issues with building and heat.

My rack I built and the added electical circuits along with fans and all that are exactly the same kind of thing all of the SETI and others go through.

Forget those charity cases... My warm and fuzzy feeling comes in the form of $$$$ which yes its not bad to drop $2500 on computer hardware and have all of that money back 2 weeks later to just double up your rigs. There are a few coins that have come across that use the backbones for the non profit stuff if you want to contribute to science but guess what, just donate some coins to science/charity and call it a day?

"How philanthropic of you."

This is the exact argument the DC community will make against mining being a DC project. Donate some coins to make yourself sleep better at night, but in the end it's all about pure profit in your pocket, whereas the DC community is genuinely doing everything out of their own pockets to further science, research, medicine, etc.

You will argue it amounts burning the candle at both ends of the stick, while most others in this forum will not.

 

[nwo]

Looks like it's time to add a coin mining subforum on anandtech!

 

[petrusbroder]

I think that would be a good idea ...

 

[mkrohn]

"How philanthropic of you."

This is the exact argument the DC community will make against mining being a DC project. Donate some coins to make yourself sleep better at night, but in the end it's all about pure profit in your pocket, whereas the DC community is genuinely doing everything out of their own pockets to further science, research, medicine, etc.

You will argue it amounts burning the candle at both ends of the stick, while most others in this forum will not.

so to qualify as Distributed Computing you have to be throwing money away for a warm/fuzzy feeling? Look at the words... I have a bank of 8 computers all working on the same problem.... The very definition of distributed computing.

The only reason mining would need to be separated is if you do gooders simply feel dirty having us mining whores in the same sandbox as you. I really don't care because I discuss mining in OTHER places including the [H] distributed computing area and this is the first place I've even seen somebody try to say mining is NOT distributed computing.

 

[petrusbroder]

I can not resist to start a discussion:

The fundamental difference between DC and mining is that DC is volunteer work for the good of science and society and mining is work for the good of an individual. Let me go into more detail:

Computationally there may not be such a great difference; but there is a difference in culture, philosophy and outlook.

In DC the work unit is one part of a large computational problem which otherwise would need a supercomputer to solve. The result of the work unit (WU) has no value for the person calculating the WU, but has value for the person(s) sending the work unit. The return of the result of the work unit is essential for the total result of the project. If the WUs are not returned to the sender, they are of no value to the sender and of only negative value (=loss) to the cruncher, because the cruncher can’t even count on getting respect or credit or any scientific acknowledgment (as is often done, when DC-projects are published - see another thread in this forum).​

In mining there is no result to be returned to the sender; the only value generated is to the person mining the coins. The computational effort does not contribute to the sender's bottom line at all, only to the miner's.

All DC-projects could probably be solved using a sufficiently powerful computer, but in DC the cost of the computing is distributed to many crunchers. That is why distributed computing is often called "citizen science participation". This is the other part of "distributed computing" - not only by distributing WUs but also by distributing costs (also DC). The cost (in computer hardware, software, power, time) paid by each cruncher is a volunteer effort (that why many projects call crunchers volunteers) contributing (as any volunteer effort) to the positive balance of society.
In mining, theoretically, a very powerful computer could mine hundreds of coins every day. The costs running this powerful computer are paid by the computer owner and need to be calculated into a cost-gain calculation - no distribution of costs. When miners pool resources they do it to be more efficient in mining (which IMHO is very good) for each miner's individual gain, a win-win-situation for the miners, possibly, but not necessarily for the good of society: one could argue, that mining costs society more than it contributes because the mined funds can be spent in both a constructive way but also in a destructive way (i.e. much of the business on SilkRoad) or not spent at all which removes them (at least in the short view) from society.

Science can be funded through private contributions and/or through public funding, i.e. taxes. As far as I understand, public funding (i.e. taxes) has an overhead (administration, taxes etc.) I don't mind that (if it generates work and thus decreases unemployment) but i prefer that my contribution goes directly to the science performed. It has been shown over and over again, that funding science (no matter how) contributes more to society than it costs society (a win-win situation).

Yes, one could call crunchers for "do gooders" in a derogatory way and call us stupid or what not. That is about as reasonable as calling the volunteers in churches, community projects for "do gooders" too and I do not think, that the society in the US would be better off if 50% of all volunteers just quit and their work would be not performed. Poverty, crime rates, diseases would increase and the total entropy of society would increase tremendously.

So the fundamental difference between DC and mining is that DC is volunteer work and mining is work for the good of an individual.

I don't care if miners discuss their issues in the same forum as the DC-crunchers. As I see it, a separate sub-forum would be more focused and thus constructive because the cultures of the crunchers and miners are quite different.
OTOH, Feel free to do which ever you like. There is of course always the possibility of one learning from the other ...

 

[SunnyD]

so to qualify as Distributed Computing you have to be throwing money away for a warm/fuzzy feeling? Look at the words... I have a bank of 8 computers all working on the same problem.... The very definition of distributed computing.

The only reason mining would need to be separated is if you do gooders simply feel dirty having us mining whores in the same sandbox as you. I really don't care because I discuss mining in OTHER places including the [H] distributed computing area and this is the first place I've even seen somebody try to say mining is NOT distributed computing.

For what it's worth, I have nothing against mining. I've already said it fits the definition of distributed computing. What I tried to point out is that, at least here, and on several other communities I frequent, the DC communities are indeed about charity, and they wouldn't consider mining in the spirit of distributed computing work.

It's a technicality. That's all. No harm, no foul. The H community is very, VERY different from AT's community. As is OCN from TPU, OCF from Ars, and so on.

Like I said, on one hand I'd be all for setting up a pool for the AT folks to mine under. In fact, it would actually motivate me to get back into the "DC" game a bit more since I've been out for so long. Plus I wouldn't mind trying my hand at the behind the scenes stuff (server admin, all that jazz) since that's what I've been more interested in lately. But I pointed out above what my concerns were and where I figured this community would share them. Granted, it's been a small sampling so far, but I know petrus is pretty in turn with what goes on here and fairly like-minded I would think across the rest of the members. He just happens to be somewhat less... reserved.

 

[mkrohn]

All terminology evolves over time. You traditional Distributed Computing people paved the way for all of this mining stuff. My point is forget what you're used to, the TERM distributed computing completely fits mining. Like I said above we have very similar problems and if I were to share something like my rack build it falls perfectly within things you traditional people do. Granted the majority of people doing distributed computer are 1-2 rig type people. I'm only at 7 right now but climbing.

Electrical issues are the same between the 2 types of DC. I have been reading what the traditional DC people have been doing for a long time I just never had any incentive to get into it.

If you've been paying attention there's a coin powered by BOINC and I believe there's a folding related coin and things like that TOO so an evolution is happening. I believe the one with BOINC is all funneling into a single team. If AT has the resources they could create a coin and funnel all of that work into THEIR team.