- Feb 26, 2000
- 7,006
- 1
- 81
First off a question, I've had to uninstall BONIC it is causing hell with VS.Net and some other strange programs I use on a daily basis, it tends to make my system a bit unstable and sluggish in games. (no I'm not OCing and my processor temp is fine...) so I'm looking for another project outside of seti to be a part of that doesn't use BONIC. (plus adding machines with the bonic user key is a pain in the arse.)
now for the news,
I've started my own web hosting company and I wanted to extend an offer to you guys for inexpensive hosting, the company is TechMayhem.net I've set up a special account for my DC bro's here are the features.
For $2.95 per month
Features:
150MB Storage
4500MB Data-Transfer per month
Cpanel
your account has unlimited:
E-mail addresses
E-mail forwarders
E-mail Lists
Domains
Subdomains
Parked Domains
MySQL Databases
FTP accounts
If your interested send me a PM or E-mail and I'll get you all set up. here is the direct link to the payment processor (I use paypal right now) payment link
Now for the commentary, This is a peice I am writing for my review website, but I thought I would get you guys to give it a once over and get some feedback.
DRAFT The dilution of Distributed computing DRAFT
Ever since Seti@home revolutionized the way we process complex tasks by dividing the problem into smaller problems and having home computers solve those smaller problems to create and end result of the big picture distributed computing has become a hit amongst home computer enthusiasts that have an interest in the sciences. However because of the success of DC a multitude of new projects have materialized. This in general is a good thing revolutionizing, spawning new projects and allowing the diversification of Distributed computing projects as a whole. Unfortunately there are unintended consequences to this evolution and that is the watering down of resources available to any given project.
When distributed computing began to take shape there were only a few projects to choose from, these included Prime95, RC5-64, and Seti@Home. During that period of time the resources that groups were able to put in to each project were immense creating teams of people working together under a common name, this created rivalry between teams from good old fasion team ribbing to some very emotional times between teams. A careful game of politics had to be played not only inner-team but also with other competing teams, This rivalry boosted moral and distributed computing participation as groups were at it to "defend their honor."
Today the scene is much different then it was 4 years ago, there are more projects available, which for all intensive purposes is a good thing however it has led to the slow dilution of massive power available to any given project at any given time. The rivalries have died down if not to have vanished completely and the organization that once existed has been shattered and has splintered off into a myriad of different directions. There is no one to "blame" for this nor is it really a "problem" but more of a realization of the state that DC is in and the evolutions that have occurred throughout the involved community. Today the feel of the DC community is much different then it was with so many dynamic people involved in so many projects its becoming increasingly challenging for communities to hold together the bonds that not long ago seemed inseparable.
Unfortunately there also seems to be another problem plaguing the DC community, Recruitment. Getting people involved has become extremely challenging. There are a number of uphill battles that the community has to fight to get people interested and to get them to participate. A strong detractor from DC is the "myth" that because your using your computer at "100%" that it will shorten the life of your computer or the extra heat produced is damaging, people make the comparison to a car engine while not understanding the distinct differences between mechanical and electrical components. They believe to be "productive" they have to leave their computer on 24/7 and that its helpless to contribute if they don't. These are only a few of the numerous issues that have to be faced to get people to participate while also trying to defeat the "lack of interest."
The cause of the complete lack of interest in the DC projects boils down to results, while many of us today are happy with our stats and watching those numbers climb is gratifying enough to keep working on the project the average Joe wants to see results and wants to see them now! There are inherent problems to this way of thought, it is valid. on the topic of results interpretation of the results given to the general DC Joe can be hard if not impossible to understand unless your imamate familiar with the project and sciences behind it, if people are to participate in a hobby such as DC they don't want to have to get a doctorate just to understand what they are doing.
Key points the DC community needs to address:
? Dissolving the Myths
? Show constant and consistent progress
? Show progress in ways the general population can understand without having to know a lot of background information on the subject(s) at hand while still providing "meaningful" data
? Introduce a more interactive component to DC, allow "set it and forget it" but also allow people to become actively involved if they choose to.
now for the news,
I've started my own web hosting company and I wanted to extend an offer to you guys for inexpensive hosting, the company is TechMayhem.net I've set up a special account for my DC bro's here are the features.
For $2.95 per month
Features:
150MB Storage
4500MB Data-Transfer per month
Cpanel
your account has unlimited:
E-mail addresses
E-mail forwarders
E-mail Lists
Domains
Subdomains
Parked Domains
MySQL Databases
FTP accounts
If your interested send me a PM or E-mail and I'll get you all set up. here is the direct link to the payment processor (I use paypal right now) payment link
Now for the commentary, This is a peice I am writing for my review website, but I thought I would get you guys to give it a once over and get some feedback.
DRAFT The dilution of Distributed computing DRAFT
Ever since Seti@home revolutionized the way we process complex tasks by dividing the problem into smaller problems and having home computers solve those smaller problems to create and end result of the big picture distributed computing has become a hit amongst home computer enthusiasts that have an interest in the sciences. However because of the success of DC a multitude of new projects have materialized. This in general is a good thing revolutionizing, spawning new projects and allowing the diversification of Distributed computing projects as a whole. Unfortunately there are unintended consequences to this evolution and that is the watering down of resources available to any given project.
When distributed computing began to take shape there were only a few projects to choose from, these included Prime95, RC5-64, and Seti@Home. During that period of time the resources that groups were able to put in to each project were immense creating teams of people working together under a common name, this created rivalry between teams from good old fasion team ribbing to some very emotional times between teams. A careful game of politics had to be played not only inner-team but also with other competing teams, This rivalry boosted moral and distributed computing participation as groups were at it to "defend their honor."
Today the scene is much different then it was 4 years ago, there are more projects available, which for all intensive purposes is a good thing however it has led to the slow dilution of massive power available to any given project at any given time. The rivalries have died down if not to have vanished completely and the organization that once existed has been shattered and has splintered off into a myriad of different directions. There is no one to "blame" for this nor is it really a "problem" but more of a realization of the state that DC is in and the evolutions that have occurred throughout the involved community. Today the feel of the DC community is much different then it was with so many dynamic people involved in so many projects its becoming increasingly challenging for communities to hold together the bonds that not long ago seemed inseparable.
Unfortunately there also seems to be another problem plaguing the DC community, Recruitment. Getting people involved has become extremely challenging. There are a number of uphill battles that the community has to fight to get people interested and to get them to participate. A strong detractor from DC is the "myth" that because your using your computer at "100%" that it will shorten the life of your computer or the extra heat produced is damaging, people make the comparison to a car engine while not understanding the distinct differences between mechanical and electrical components. They believe to be "productive" they have to leave their computer on 24/7 and that its helpless to contribute if they don't. These are only a few of the numerous issues that have to be faced to get people to participate while also trying to defeat the "lack of interest."
The cause of the complete lack of interest in the DC projects boils down to results, while many of us today are happy with our stats and watching those numbers climb is gratifying enough to keep working on the project the average Joe wants to see results and wants to see them now! There are inherent problems to this way of thought, it is valid. on the topic of results interpretation of the results given to the general DC Joe can be hard if not impossible to understand unless your imamate familiar with the project and sciences behind it, if people are to participate in a hobby such as DC they don't want to have to get a doctorate just to understand what they are doing.
Key points the DC community needs to address:
? Dissolving the Myths
? Show constant and consistent progress
? Show progress in ways the general population can understand without having to know a lot of background information on the subject(s) at hand while still providing "meaningful" data
? Introduce a more interactive component to DC, allow "set it and forget it" but also allow people to become actively involved if they choose to.
Facebook
Twitter