> >From time to time, we also download new versions of the Juno software to
> >bring your version up to date, and we expect to download new scientific
> >software from time to time as part of the Juno Virtual Supercomputer
Project.
>
> NO mention of security, NO mention of encryption, targeted to Windows
> 9x users - truly impressive.
This also begs an interesting question of what happens if the "scientific
software" conflicts with something on your system.
As much as I just love GIMPS, there is one interesting little bugaboo that I
don't know if it's been mentioned: Anyone else out there use Netmeeting to
do videoconferencing? If so, have you noticed that if NTPRIME (the NT
service version) is running, your video will go REALLY REALLY slow? I don't
know of Prime95 has the same effect or not, but I'd guess so.
So whenever I'm in a videoconference, I have to stop the prime service and
remember to start it later.
I know, I know, it's an idle priority thread, and I've verified that the
thread spawned by the service is indeed running at priority 1. But for some
reason, the codec used by Netmeeting or whatever must also run in idle time,
leaving the two to compete for resources perhaps?
So again, what happens if Juno's software starts interfering with your other
apps, even when your not connected?
Is it even fair that your free internet connection would actually use your
computer even when you're not using your free connection? Even the Juno
banner ads only show up while you're actually online. Imagine if Juno said
those ads would now show up all through the day whether you're dialed in or
not.
> >At some point in the
> >future, we may begin requiring people who participate in the project to
> >leave their computers turned on for some minimum amount of time (or
> >possibly all the time)
>
> I wonder how the costs connected with doing so (electricity, air
> conditioning in the summer, possible damage to extremely overclocked
> systems) compare with the cost for a minimal dialup account - or for
> that matter with switching to excite, bluelight, ifree, netzero, or
> one of the other adware ISPs.
Well, electricity costs and what not are still likely to be less than even
the cheapest ISP on a per-month basis.
> >The only time your computer might initiate a connection is if a
> >computational problem is downloaded to your computer when you establish
one
> >connection to Juno's central computers, then don't dial in again for a
long
> >time.
>
> Fourth mention of "downloading to" client computers. I doubt this is
> just confusion - 'downloading' is usually something web users do
> voluntarily.
They should call it a "push install" or something, whereas you're right,
downloading is more of a pull (user initiated). Besides various incidents
in the past, I am in the biz of doing software installs on large networks,
and that's the general terminology we'd use for a server based install being
forced on clients: a push. If it's advertised to workstations but not
mandatory, pull is appropriate.
And even then, we have to be careful. Some installs require a reboot. If
they update your "scientific software" and it needs to reboot, that could be
annoying. And then software compatibility issues... eech. At least the
GIMPS software is simple enough to deal with those things, but not all
programmers are as savvy as dear George.
Aaron
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