Just saw this on the Folding@Home forum:
"Shmaa and UCMajewski, collectively known as LocalBusinessMen (LBM), from xtremesystems' Rosetta team illegally installed Rosetta@Home onto computers that were already legally running Folding@Home. The resulting instability from running two DC projects on systems simultaneously resulted in Folding@Home being removed because it was assumed that it was responsible for the issues that had suddenly arisen (because those in charge did not know until later that the systems had been illegally borged with Rosetta).

Now, it is important to understand that How???, being senior systems administrator, was in the appropriate position to install Folding@Home on computers under his responsibility. He made sure that people both up and down the chain (including network operations and the head of IT security) knew that Folding was installed and how it was being used (burning in / stability). But with these events taking place, it is doubtful that any distributed computing project will be reintroduced.

While LBM's project points are zeroed out and both are banned from xtremesystem, the real cost is to Distributed Computing and its reputation. The loss of 2THz computing power pales in comparison to the possible longtem impacts. This is why people must have the proper authority before installing ANY program on a system that is not their own."
http://forum.folding-community.org/viewtopic.php?t=15412&highlight=

That was the top member at F@H with thousands of computers that had the F@H DC legally installed (and the installation was carefully optimized to minimize impact), and because of the illegal borg - all gone. Ouch!

Anyway, the point of this post (outside of general interest), is that besides yourself (I would think that just about everyone on this forum doesn't need the reminder), it is important to keep reminding your own team members not to illegally borg (yes, people get caught up in the competitive elements and go overboard). I've had to remind people numerous times on the various teams (on other DCs) that I've worked with. And I've seen people actually getting fired for borging at work (fortunately they were not arrested or sued like some people). And then others losing friends for sneaking it on their system, and just causing a bad feeling for DC projects. i.e. Must ask, and if with a company or someone that doesn't remember things too well - get the ok written (or emailed). And don't mess up their systems (e.g. overheat, memory starved, etc.)!

Rosetta had some really noticeable slowdown issues around a month ago on my home machine and that was the only DC app running. I can imagine how much more noticeable the effect would be with another DC app running. And the DC app that was tested out always gets the first blame.. (and then they find out the problem is something like that their AV software was changed so that it is using up all their Ram.)

This is definately a bad result for DC projects. And now.. for large scale rollouts of DC apps, you'll have to keep track of all the processes running on a machine to see what's been added/changed. (Good for spyware/virus/worm/trojan spotting, as well.)

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This is a very good argument in favor of Folding@home offering a BOINC-version, BOINC being the DC defacto standard, so one has to maintain a single DC platform.

I know that BOINC still doesn't support some features F@H is using (e.g. opt-in to run BigWUs etc), and I hope BOINC developers include them asap.

Similar problems arise when people can't run re.g. WCG and CureCancer on the same PC, even though both use the very same agent sw (UD's)

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Best UFO Resources
Wikipedia R@h
How-To: Join Distributed Computing projects that benefit humanity

I am very anoyed that someone would do that.

personaly I have my home computers running Boinc and i have no problem with them but i cant see how someone could consider running a DC project on computers they arnt responsible for and the like..

I know in the past there have been people who have done this before and people who have gotten in trouble for it.

Personaly i prefer Rosetta over folding but what one is better is a good question ...

as for running 2 types of DC projects together they were not designed to do it so of corse there will be slowdown...

if Folding comes over to Boinc i will probaly give it a try... Right now i am deployed at sea and can not adjust setting esaly to my computers so i have not tried any of the new projects that have become avalible on Boinc...


Unfortunaly most people (including myself) are adicted to stats and when i see my computers not producing quick enough i wonder what has gone wrong.. I can definatly see that some people might want to "BORG" computers as you say but i really wish that people just ask for permision. Were i work it is a definat not in your life will anything not autorized be installed and i can understand why..

I agree with Tarx if you dont have the right to install and run the program on another computer then DONT

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Agreed -

I am not even sure why the projects allow these programs to be run on anything else but personal computers.

Makes the entire DC community look bad when things like this happen.

Personally, every credit I have ever crunched has been with privately owned machines.

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SETI.USA

I am not even sure why the projects allow these programs to be run on anything else but personal computers.

The project guidelines clearly say to use computers you own. Not sure I follow how you propose the project should recognize that the owner of the PC has not authorized Rosetta to be installed an run there.

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Add this signature to your EMail:
Running Microsoft's "System Idle Process" will never help cure cancer, AIDS nor Alzheimer's. But running Rosetta@home just might!
https://boinc.bakerlab.org/rosetta/

Most workplaces these days use Local networks of standard PCs. Any BOINC based project could be installed........

At the place where I work, there are (approx) 150 PCs - excluding lap-tops - all dedicated to 'call centre' work on my floor alone. The machines are all Pentium 4 3Ghz running on Windows 2000.

Crunchers heaven.

IF they were my machines or IF I had permissiion to install BOINC.....

Here (an insurance company) most peope have standard HD images, very restricted rights on their PCs, nearly no way to install anything on their own.

From SETI Classic I know one example where it had been the other way. One of my team mates had been admin and had a HD image on CD, which he used only for his own boxes.

When he lost his job, the company by mistake used his HD image for each and every new PC they installed, he ended up with a lot of boxes crunching for him, until they switched to a different windows version.