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SETI Accelerator Hoax Revealed
Stone Table writes "The SETI Accelerator by Krasnoconv sounded too good to be true. Well, in response to the overwhelming requests that they've had, they finally let the cat out of the bag. The whole thing was a hoax! They've posted a page to explain the hoax, from birth to death. I think this just goes to show that people will believe just about anything, if it serves their interests." Check out the original article on it as well. (CT:Duh!)
This was exposed and discussed on Technocrat two days ago.
Don't feel bad -- I saw one of the big network News organizations (I think it was ABC) get taken by a hoaxster during one of their live "crisis" broadcasts, where the person confirmed that somebody had indeed killed themself since "they couldn't be on the Howard Stern show."
If it can happen to them it can happen to slashdot.
The Future of Human Evolution: Autonomy
how meaningless technical specifications really are. Think about it this way: If we, an enlightened (one would hope) group of tech-heads, fell for this almost completely, imagine an ordinary user's experience when he/she walks into a computer store. "K6-2? Is that better or worse than a Pentium? Is 64 megabytes fast enough, or do I want 600 megahertz instead? This one says 'multimedia ready'. That's good, right? I think I'll choose that one. Does it have the Internet?" Computer companies prey on this with mindless technobabble like "internet ready" or "fully RFC compliant", and customers are the ones that end up being swindled.
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Friends don't let friends misuse the subjunctive.
I also able to invent a SETI accelerator by using manies electronics in my home. By passing parts of SETI Work Unit to my:
I have able to increase my processing from 1 unit every 22 hours on very fast Compaq Presario to 17 units every half hour. It is very fast.
Last week my street lose power (I don't know why) so I am forced to stop processing. And yesterday in the mails there is a letter with electric bill for $700 (US!) for one month! I think there is some mistake, but I keeps processing! I know one day we will find ET for science but I also very happy to make #7 in high scores list. Maybe if search continuing I will #1!
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Have fun: Join D.N.A. (National Dyslexics Association)
Notice that the hoax article say that they were indundated with 'orders'. While I can infer from the wording of the article that they weren't taking credit card numbers, it occurs to me that it would be simplicity itself to replicate this hoax (or just put up a phony online 'business') and get people to submit their card numbers. I guess one moral of the story is to watch out who you do business with. That, and don't believe everything you read online.
sig:
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See the "..for smart people" banners Wired runs here? Look elsewhere guys.
...and perhaps a life.
...and take a class in critical thinking...
>They amuse nobody but the hoaxer.
Dead wrong. I'm not the hoaxer and I am greatly amused. It's hard to type while holding your belly with both hands.
>They waste our time.
Waste your time perhaps, but this sort of entertainment is much more enjoyable than spending hours if front of a tv. Go download a good Steven King book!
>cause us to make plans based on false information
No, they cause you to make plans with out verifying data. That's your mistake, not mine, not theirs.
>those harmed by the hoax should have the
>power to sue the hoaxer for damages
Hahaha, this is a good one. I can see it now. You stand up in front of the court and say "I solemnly swear that yes I am stupid enough to be taken in by this scam, this scam that has done nothing but deflect me from my other stupid ideas and has prevented me from doing other stupid things." It's going to be interesting proving damage.
>Trust and credibility are very rare and valuable
> things these days, and those who abuse them
> should not be treated lightly.
Truth! Here we have some insight, but still lack depth. Trust and credibility really are rare and valuable. THAT IS WHY THEY MUST BE EARNED. You do not have my trust, nor do I give you any credibility. YOU HAVE TO EARN IT. I will doubt you from day one until you show me that I should change my mind.
You are the one that abuses trust and credibility by giving these valuable and powerful items away without regard for the consequences of your actions.
Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement.
- W. Wriston, former Citibank CEO
what kind of sick mind cares more about SETI stats than about the very real problems of the very real world that surrounds them?
You disgust me. You are the kind of person who looks that the Sistine Chapel ceiling and sees wasted effort that could have been put into building homes for the poor. You are the kind of bastard that burned Alexandria's library, fearful and ignorant of the knowledge contained within. You are the jerk who makes fun of anybody who has spent serious effort and often serious money into any useless but personally rewarding hobby, like collecting Rocky Horror items.
What is Mankind if he only looks to the ground? We might as well be automated baby machines in your view - only caring about the basic necessities. We live set in a cosmos that is full of wonder, and if you can't feel that wonder, then I pity you.
Food, shelter - these are important for life. But they are not what life is for. I can't tell you the purpose of your individual life, but if you can't look up to the stars, don't scream that those who have loftier visions are foolish.
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Evan
"$30 for the One True Ring. $10 each additional ring!" -- JRR "Bob" Tolkien
Hmmm, a post on Slashdot helps, too. The article was posted on Sunday....the day they started getting their visitors.
Seems these people were Slashdotted, and didn't even KNOW what hit them. They attributed the whole burst of traffic to ONE post on a newsgroup.
I don't think so. heh
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon?
-- Give him Head? Be a Beacon? :P)
(If you can't figure out how to E-Mail me, Don't.
And _I_ knew it was a hoax after I first read the article. I was really surprised how many people in the comments section took it seriously. Even if people believed it, though, there was no harm done.
How many people really based business decisions off of this? Precisely no one. There was no commercial use for the supposed product, and even if there had been, it was evident that the idea was hacked together by a few fly-by-nighters. It's not like this was tarnishing some trusted brand name.
How much time did you waste on this? A few seconds to read the headline, and if you were more interested, maybe a minute or so to read the full article.
It may surprise you, but many of us consider humor a "legitimate" use of the internet. I like pranks every now and then, as long as there's no damage done. And I don't see any damage here, except possibly for some embarassment for the people who believed it.
And your boy-who-cried-wolf analogy is silly. This is far different than email chain letters about the Good Time Virus. As real news, this might have been interesting, but certainly not alarming. It does nothing to lower our guard. If anything, this puts people *more* on their guard for other, more dangerous hoaxes.
Wait! It just dawned on me! Your *post* is a hoax! I can't believe I fell for it. You naughty, naughty boy, making me type all of these counterpoints to an argument that wasn't even real.
Oh, my face is red...
--Lenny
A couple of days ago, in this very messaging board, somebody proposed a brilliant idea: instead of something useless like SETI or cracking RC5, one could dedicate those cycles to analysing satellite data that could help farmers plan crops. Truly wonderful. Sad thing, though, is that in a tech world like the one we have, "sexy" useless projects like SETI demand all the attention, while worthwhile causes like the latter languish. Truly sickening.
Hey, if its such a great idea, go ahead, start it up and waste your idle CPU cycles on it.
Me, I'm going to use my idle CPU cycles on them there flying toasters...
DrLunch.com The site that tells you what's for lunch!
...is that there were people willing to spend actual money on buying a device that would run a process that was intended to use just your spare CPU cycles. For their next hoax, I propose the create a Screensaver On A PCI Card. "Get 18 Million Triangle/sec!"
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Give us our karma back! Punish Karma Whores through meta-mod!
Linux MAPI Server!
http://www.openone.com/software/MailOne/
(Exchange Migration HOWTO coming soon)
Huh, and here I was thinking that the hoax had been broken the very day it was released on /. Must be that pesky precognition again...
- Michael Cohn
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Go ahead, blame me... I voted for Nader!
Now if only someone would create a card that boosted my /. karma...
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Wooden armaments to battle your imaginary foes!
They said it was on backorder!
This
- Slashdot can NOT verify the validity of stories AND be up and to date
- Slashdot CAN destroy karma on both the submitter and poster of subsequently discovered hoaxes/errors and ultimatly remove their privileges
- I for one would like to see Slashdot take itself a bit more seriously, making an attempt to keep the posted stories real and relevent and NOT REPEATS.
- Why can't we all "meta-moderate" the story posters, if we all think one of them is a dumbass can we note vote him out?
- I do not want to see the whole site crippled in beuracracy or the removal of some of the more lively debates (lets face it any story that mentions M$oft is Flamebait).
- I would like to see a more useful moderation system including
- Why can't we view stories by Moderation class, there are so many stories on slashdot where all I would like to see are the "Funny" stories, and many others where I would just want the "Insightful&&Informative" posts.
just my E0.02- +1 Flamebait
- -1 Flamebait
and also remove the Under and Over rated options.Never underestimate the dark side of the Source