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Running SETI at school?

Actaeon

Diamond Member
Hey everyone! Right now, I'm taking a computer course in my high school, which is easy as pie (Go Figure eh?).

Is there anyway I could get SETI running on the computers? Whos clearance would I need? The Teacher? The Principal? Or is it illegal all together in a public school system?

We have about 30 computers in the lab, not sure on there specs though, I'd assume 1 or so WU a day, considering its on about 10 hours a day, with some kids messing around on a typing program, couldn't take up too much cpu time...

Also, would you think its a possiblity I could perhaps, run SETI across the whole campus? I wouldn't mind using my lunch time, getting there early, or staying after, to install some SETI. So missing class shouldn't be a problem if the teachers/principal ask. There are probally easily, over 300 computers which run idle 10 hours a day.

How would I go about getting SETI running at my school? Any comments? Any recommendations? I was thinking of, writing a report about SETI, its awards its won, the many companies who run the project themselves (IBM, MS, Intel, Sun, etc), and about how its the largest DC Program, its a huge sciencific research, and blah.

If he doesn't allow SETI, maybe I can convince him to run the Cancer, Genome, or RC5.

Good idea? Bad idea? Should I bring this up with any teachers or principals? Or are there certain laws that restrict this stuff on public computers in the US?

Thanks!
Jonathan

EDIT: Fixed some grammar, and reworded a few things.
 
I believe the IT dept would be the place to start. I'm sure the school has an IT dept to do images, maintenance, backups, etc. Are you in tight with anyone in the school's IT dept?

Good idea on the report. That could generate interest in the project and help get you permission. 🙂
 
Talk to the IT department, probably the big boss. Make sure to get in writing that it is ok to install the selected project. I would assume the Cancer research would probably go over better than SETI except for the astrology lab 🙂

If you have specific questions, please post 'em. As for a report, that would rock. We would all be happy to provide any support we can 😀
 
I would assume the Cancer research would probably go over better than SETI except for the astrology lab

I think Evadman means the astronomy lab - astrology is another topic entirely. 😉
 
I don't even think we have an IT Department 😕, remember this is a public high school. 😛

I have a Business Systems Tech class, all I do is a typing program, and mess with word and powerpoint.

The only person I know that runs another computer course like mine, is my friend, who is in programming. But the teacher is out somewhere, and hasn't been in school yet.

So, basically, I have no connections with anyone in the school about this.
 
Talk to one of the Deens then, or an assistant principal. It will probably have to be authorized by the principal anyway.

<edit>
NWM... Sorry. 😀 I am a Capricorn. Marry me?
 
Originally posted by: Evadman


If you have specific questions, please post 'em. As for a report, that would rock. We would all be happy to provide any support we can 😀

Thanks for the support! I'll be sure to come if I plan on doing this. But if I do, I plan on writing about some of the awards, espically about that science award SETI won earlier this year. I'll also write about how its sponsered and hosted by Berkley University, etc etc.

Think I should go for it?
 
Originally posted by: Evadman
Talk to one of the Deens then, or an assistant principal. It will probably have to be authorized by the principal anyway.

Well, I plan on talking to my teacher about this first, hes a very friendly and nice person. I'll bring it up with the principal if I do the report.
 
Sounds good.

And yes, I would do the report. Sounds like an awesome idea, and you remembered the old idium.. write about what ya know 😀
 
I would guess you have a school news paper also get them involved. I would suggest that you go for a limited number of computers at first because of internet bandwidth needed to transfer information which could cause problems.
Also in your posts you mention SETI but if you want to sell the concept go with cancer. Pull on the heart strings of those around you so that it is in the interest of the community to back you and in case you get turned down you can still get another chance cause it has been aproached in the right way.
Don't forget that above the principle there is also the School district board that you need to woo also they want the public kudos also.
Remember that SETI talk may be to much for 'them' to swallow. As one person on this forum said he had permission from the old IT department for SETI but when changes came about it was remove SETI and he tried some other angles and got another DC program to be approved so at least the computers wern't lost.
Remember to research it completely so you know it off the top of your head don't just keep repeating the universities involved.

Well hope my 2 cents helped

muttley

PS you can put your school down as Team 'insert name of school' within Team Anandtech and get student from school to join in their home and dads work computers.

In the future maybe you can pull some of those astrology people into the astronomy department and give them some approved computer time. 😉
 
<FONT size=1>"Is there anyway I could get SETI running on the computers? Whos clearance would I need? The Teacher? The Principal? Or is it illegal all together in a public school system?"
</FONT>
If you can get an answer to this question you will solve a two year Nightmare and expense. In case you missed it the people here and around the world of the entire Internet Community saved my life from what was viewed as a dire crime worse than murder when I did what you are looking to do. I asked the very same question which is on tape during various interviews such as the BBC and NBC here in Atlanta. The State of Georgia never answered this question, it went all the way to the Governor and one of the Senators, they believed it to be illegal and agreed to go after the technology itself after they were through with me. Besides State and Public School computers there are millions of computers running in the Federal Government that run 24/7 365 days a year not running this technology that can be doing good work such as solving formulas for the search for Cancer. I have said in many interviews that is the real crime, not linking the computers for the greater good when we have the opportunity to do so. When a German reporter called me one night, he said " We run this technology at all of our Schools and Institutions, How can it be a crime in your Country?" That is the mystery and the good question I told him.

Good luck Jonathan and maybe with more people realizing this power potential we are wasting that the above real crime and waste may be corrected some day.

Dave McOwen
http://www.freemcowen.com
 
Jonathan,

It's definitely wothwhile to try to use those computers for something other than running NOP's all day (that's NO OP, what computers do when they're idle).

Just make sure to take your time, and get written permission from the parties responsible. That'd probably be the IT department or whomever is in charge of the computers at your school. Be sure to consult with the principal, too (it might not be a bad idea to get his written permission too).

I know that everybody keeps telling you exactly the same thing in this thread, it's just that everybody's really sensitive to this after what happened to Dave (dmcowen674). It's not that we're all members of the "Get Written Permission" cult, repeating our mantra over and over. Though, if you're gonna be a member of a cult, that one'll get you into the least amount of trouble. 😉

Doing a report on the project would be a really good idea. As has been pointed out you may be able to have better success with a Cancer or health related project vs. Seti. You might want to include in your report the expected contributions from your own school, or the results that could be accomplished if this was done across your school board.


Best of luck,


Moti

 
I think a project on SETI would be great 🙂 ,try for SETI as your primary project to run ,if they don't go for that then try 1 of the biological based DC projects.
Good luck 🙂
 
If you do an indepth report on SETI, you may want to do a brief summary of some of the other DC projects & what their goals are, as a backup, if they don't like the SETI idea.

One of the "selling" points i'm going to use on people to try to get them to run SETI(especially if they have kids) is that it's also an introduction into astronomy, or science in general. One of our members(Shotgun Steve, i believe) said he got interested in observational astronomy by checking out the star maps on SETI Spy. Seeing where his WU's were recorded in the sky led to his learning some of the major constellations.

So a DC project running on these computers doesn't mean that they have to only run in the background, never to be seen. They could help as a learning tool or be used to spark an interest in science in some of the kids.

Good luck!
 
Thanks for the support everyone!

Evadman: Yeah, I think the report would be great, it shows that I'm truly interested in running this program, and what its about, I could make several copies, and hand them out to certain high level people in the school, for them to read. After reading about how good it is, how could they say no? 😀

Muttley: I agree on just about everything you said, I'm gonna try and focus on SETI, as they having a pretty big war with BBR as of late, and about to get passed. I'd like to help out more, rather than my pitiful 6-7 or so WUs a day.

Dave McOwen: Yes, I heard about your unfortunate case, and I do not feel as if its a real crime, and they are just overexaggerating things, but thats why I am afraid to run any of these DC programs on any of our schools in campus. I remember hearing a rule about getting expelled if caught using programs on the computer. You even get a detention for checking your email in the libary over here.

Moti: I fully agree with getting written permission. Incase they come up to me with some charges, I'll just show them the papers, and walk away. But yes, I do think I'd have a better chance of running cancer or genome, instead of SETI. Though I'd like to focus on SETI.

JWMiddleton: Yes, that would be great! But my only fear about showing them that is, they might want there own "team", instead of joining Team Anandtech, which completely defeats the purpose of why I'm trying to get them to run SETI, or any other DC Project. Yeah Yeah, I know its for a good cause, but I'd really like to help out the TeAm alot more. My friends and my Athlon isn't exactly doing ground breaking performance for the TeAm.

Assimilator1: Thats what I plan on doing, hopefully I can get them to run SETI, if not, cancer and what not for the TeAm.

SpaceHead: Yeah, I thought about that, I could have SETI as my main topic, but I'll have info about other DC programs included as well, incase SETI doesn't appeal to them. How can someone say no to helping cancer research? Though a good point made about getting them interested in it, but I don't think its gonna happen. I don't think any teacher would let me change there whole plan for the whole year, because of a DC program. Maybe they could take a week off, and look at what it does, and perhaps learn about SETI, and other DC projects, but I'd rather not have them mess with it, knowing my school, they wouldn't be interested in it at all.

But I also have another question... Lets say I do manage to convince them to run SETI, or another DC Project, how could I get them to join TeAm Anandtech, or sign in under my name? And secondly, how can I install this, so no one can mess with it? Students like to mess around on the computers... I don't want all of them shutting down the DC, or messing up any of the WU files involved, or whatever.

Thanks for all the support and replys! I am even more motivated to create this report!
Jonathan
 
Originally posted by: Actaeon
Muttley: I agree on just about everything you said, I'm gonna try and focus on SETI, as they having a pretty big war with BBR as of late, and about to get passed. I'd like to help out more, rather than my pitiful 6-7 or so WUs a day.
Jonathan
Don't sell your current production short. I'm #1 in overall WU's and I started with a single machine. Plus, there is no such thing as "pitiful" WU's. I wish a saved the link to Greg's (Smokeball) thread a while back but I didn't. Anyway, the point was the SETI TeAm isn't based on a few big producers, it's based on a bunch of "little guys" with some big producers mixed in. We all do what we can. Hopefully you'll convince the school to allow SETI (or another DC project) on their PC's. But even if you don't you're still a BIG part of the TeAm!! 😀

 
Lets say I do manage to convince them to run SETI, or another DC Project, how could I get them to join TeAm Anandtech, or sign in under my name?

When you install SETI on the relevant machines you just use your SETI email add for those clients too🙂
I dunno about your other stuff ,though it sounds like installing SETI as a service would be the way to go ,I'm sure someone else here more knowledgeable will answer in a min 🙂
 
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