Request for feedback: doing research on distributed computing projects

summima

Junior Member
Apr 29, 2014
8
0
0
Hi All!

I’m a researcher working on a project looking at distributed computing projects. I'd absolutely love to get your expertise and input to a few questions I had:

Incentives:
-What makes participating in distributed computing projects appealing?
-What are the most common incentives that get participants to join? To stay? (e.g., teams can earn points – is there more than just bragging rights? Cash incentives? Prizes? T-shirts? Etc.).
-Do any distributed computing projects have disincentives? That is, they punish participants somehow (e.g., if a user's bandwidth is too slow or if their connection is spotty, they get points removed)

Participants:
-What are the main reasons you see that participants joining?
-How do you find, entice, recruit, retain participants?
-What are the main reasons you find for participants leaving?
-How technically savvy do participants need to be? (are there technical requirements?)


Types of projects
-What are characteristics that make for a good distributed computing project? (e.g. can break it down into small pieces, can run in parallel, connection needs, etc.?)

Any other insights?


I really appreciate any answers you can provide. It would be tremendous help to get your insights and feedback.

Thank you!

Sincerely,
summima
 

Assimilator1

Elite Member
Nov 4, 1999
24,118
507
126
Hi Summima & welcome to the forum :).

Before I answer the questions I can, I'm curious, who do you work for? Or are you a student or a freelancer?

Anyhow,
Incentives:-
1. Being able to participate in science & advance the chosen subject.
2. Hmm, well I haven't recruited in years but, talking about the friendly & helpful team members was a major point as far as joining TA was concerned.
As for incentives for joining a particular project that's often down to personal preference, although projects that have been running a while & which have demonstrated progress is definitely an incentive.
3. Not AFAIK, some projects have shorter deadlines on returning results, if you bust the deadline you get no credit, I suppose that is punishment ;).

Participants:-
1. See above
2. I used to post recruiting threads in other forum sections here many years ago (& other forums further back), after that many of us just had signatures advertising DC, as you can see :). I'm not aware of any active recruitment anymore.
3. Changing interests, so joining a different forum & then switching teams, this forum being quieter due to RL commitments (& many others seem quiet too, e.g OcUK, KWSN, & Picard, despite some having high level of contributors).
4.Generally not, when BOINC was released that made running DC much easier, although for more 'extreme' rigs it can require further tweaking. F@H can require some tweaking too.

Your last paragraph is titled 'Types or projects' but you then ask what makes a good project :confused:
I'll go for the latter for now :), as well as the project goals, server reliability is a major issue! and feedback from the project staff on their forums.

Feel free to ask me for any clarification :thumbsup:
 
Last edited:

summima

Junior Member
Apr 29, 2014
8
0
0
Hi Assimilator1!

Happy to answer your question ...but I don't know how searchable these types of posts are, and I like to be careful about what personal info I put out there that can be indexed and openly available. How do I direct/private message you?

Thanks!
summima
 

summima

Junior Member
Apr 29, 2014
8
0
0
...figured out how to send a private message, but I get an error saying I need 25 posts before I can send to an admin ...

suggestions for workaround?
 

Assimilator1

Elite Member
Nov 4, 1999
24,118
507
126
Err, interesting lol, seeing as I'm not an admin! ;)
I'd guess it's an anti-spam measure, hmm maybe if I PM you 1st?

1st post updated with more answers.

Can't believe no one else's answered, I thought they'd jump at the chance to talk DC!

Come on guys! :p ;)
 
Last edited:

petrusbroder

Elite Member
Nov 28, 2004
13,343
1,138
126
Hi Assimilator1!

Happy to answer your question ...but I don't know how searchable these types of posts are, and I like to be careful about what personal info I put out there that can be indexed and openly available. How do I direct/private message you?

Thanks!
summima

OK, I understand that one's working place may be seen as personal info. OTOH, if you really want answers, I think you should be more open. We are all slightly suspicious about such requests as there has been some abuse of such answers in the past. Not so much in this forum, but in others.

You have reciewed a PM from the TAC - TeAm AnandTech Committee - which you could answer; I think that a reply tho the PM will go through. The TAC are three well known members of this forum (and some great crunchers). The TAC, of which I am a member, can then certify that you are "bona fide" (or not) without posting your place of work but for example state that you work for a a university, a private research company or what not.

If you are a person working for a DC-project and want to know how tho maximize crunching power by tuning the marketing of your project, then it would be harmful to your project if it would later be known that you have used our answers for this purpose without stating the project you work for and why you are asking.

The word "research" covers a lot: psychological, financial, marketing, etc. Research generates knowledge and knowledge is power. We do not give away power without knowing to whom and for which reason.

DC:er are very often people who find out things: who check the projects, research best crunching, find the fakes (OK, at least some ...). We spend quite a few of our funds for electrical power, för computers, upgrades, etc. We want the projects to work for the stated objectives - and not for some hidden agenda.

So: if you hope for more answers for these quite important questions and if you want people to invest their time for you, you have to give us more info about how the answers will be used.
 

petrusbroder

Elite Member
Nov 28, 2004
13,343
1,138
126
I just did a quick google on summima:
*From twitter (@summima): Competitive/Business Intelligence and Due Diligence; Research Privacy and Digital Exhaust; Mathemagician; Social Engineering (1st place at DEFCON21 SECTF)
*From Linux Users Group @ WSU: member for 6 years and 30 weeks
Not necessary the same person ... and there are a lots of hits for that name in Estonia, Russia, etc.
 

GLeeM

Elite Member
Apr 2, 2004
7,199
128
106
Happy to answer your question ...but I don't know how searchable these types of posts are, and I like to be careful about what personal info I put out there that can be indexed and openly available.

*From twitter (@summima): Competitive/Business Intelligence and Due Diligence; Research Privacy and Digital Exhaust; Mathemagician; Social Engineering (1st place at DEFCON21 SECTF)

LOL

DEFCON21 SECTF - that sounds like fun :)
 

summima

Junior Member
Apr 29, 2014
8
0
0
Err, interesting lol, seeing as I'm not an admin! ;)
I'd guess it's an anti-spam measure, hmm maybe if I PM you 1st?

1st post updated with more answers.

Can't believe no one else's answered, I thought they'd jump at the chance to talk DC!

Come on guys! :p ;)


Oops! I read the error message wrong ...looks like I can ONLY send to admins until I reach 25 posts. There's a quick (but somewhat ugly) fix for that -- only 22 more posts to post ;)
 

Rudy Toody

Diamond Member
Sep 30, 2006
4,267
421
126
Oops! I read the error message wrong ...looks like I can ONLY send to admins until I reach 25 posts. There's a quick (but somewhat ugly) fix for that -- only 22 more posts to post ;)

You should have a private message waiting for your response.
 

summima

Junior Member
Apr 29, 2014
8
0
0
You have reciewed a PM from the TAC - TeAm AnandTech Committee - which you could answer; I think that a reply tho the PM will go through. The TAC are three well known members of this forum (and some great crunchers). The TAC, of which I am a member, can then certify that you are "bona fide" (or not) without posting your place of work but for example state that you work for a a university, a private research company or what not.

Got the message, typed up a reply ...but again, it rejected me and wouldn't go through. I get the error that says I can only send to admins before I reach 25 posts.
 

summima

Junior Member
Apr 29, 2014
8
0
0
OK, I understand that one's working place may be seen as personal info. OTOH, if you really want answers, I think you should be more open. We are all slightly suspicious about such requests as there has been some abuse of such answers in the past. Not so much in this forum, but in others.

thanks for the feedback, petrusbroder.
...I'm slowing building to 25 and then I'll be happy to PM anyone for more info. It's not the actual folks here, but being indexed and searchable by anyone not on these forums ...in perpetuity
 

summima

Junior Member
Apr 29, 2014
8
0
0
You should have a private message waiting for your response.

Hi Rudy,

It wouldn't let me send. Error message claimed that I can only send to admins. Perhaps someone on the list isn't an admin, and that is what is choking up the system?

Please let me know if you're able to change it so I can PM folks before I get to 25 posts.

Thanks!
summima
 

summima

Junior Member
Apr 29, 2014
8
0
0
I just did a quick google on summima:
*From twitter (@summima): Competitive/Business Intelligence and Due Diligence; Research Privacy and Digital Exhaust; Mathemagician; Social Engineering (1st place at DEFCON21 SECTF)
*From Linux Users Group @ WSU: member for 6 years and 30 weeks
Not necessary the same person ... and there are a lots of hits for that name in Estonia, Russia, etc.

This illustrates my point ...whatever is publicly available, is publicly available for the lifetime of the internet and discoverable/googleable by anyone. And could potentially lead to confusion when there are collisions. :)
 

Assimilator1

Elite Member
Nov 4, 1999
24,118
507
126
Maybe you could PM a DC mod with a link to this thread explaining why you want to PM before the 25 limit. Might work!
 

petrusbroder

Elite Member
Nov 28, 2004
13,343
1,138
126
I think that mods are not authorized, only admins are ... otherwise FullMetal Chocobo could try ...
 

Assimilator1

Elite Member
Nov 4, 1999
24,118
507
126
Yea he's stuck 'cos he can't PM :(

Summima
Is their no other threads going (in any section) that you could join in the discussion to clock up your post count? Get into an argument in OT that'll clock up post count! lol ;).