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Flash Mob Supercomputer?
dan of the north writes "The NY Times (free reg yyy bbb) is running an article on flash mob computing. More info on the first event in SF on April 3, 2004. The goal is to run Linpack and "build a home-brew computer powerful enough to be added to a list of the world's 500 fastest computers." Minimum requirements are 1.3 GHZ Pentium III/AMD equivalent or better with 256MB of RAM, a 100 Base-T network connection and a CD-ROM - laptops preferred. "After taking a shot at a speed record, the computer will be reorganized to serve as the host of a giant multiplayer video game tournament." Cool... a 2fer!"
Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these babies!
I'm sure the first thing on the minds of the people building this is whether they should buy client or server licenses from SCO.
(It's 4:20am and I don't have any coffee; I'm sure of a lot of things at the moment.)
You can't judge a book by the way it wears its hair.
At last, something that qualifies for the appelation "News for Nerds, Stuff that Matters".
Twice over, even.
Visit CryptoGnome in his home.
I can provide two - a 1.5gHz P4 with 640MB of RAM and a 1.83gHz Athlon XP 2500+ with 512.
Of course, that would require me to turn them off, first... and I'm not sure if a massive multiplayer game is incentive enough for that.
Perhaps if they provide free drinks...
This is not part of my post. It's my signature. I bet you're disappointed.
But these are so much cooler!
Raj Against the Machine! http://social-butterfly.appspot.com/
Seriously, I'm worried that the very smallest mishap will bring this crashing down. If this works, it'd be the greatest thing ever, but if it doesn't, what a spectacular failure. It'd be interesting to count how many power cords are tripped over in the process.
What's amusing is that people are encouraged to bring laptops, and are then expected to play games that way...
Karma: Bad (mostly due to all those "In Soviet Russia" jokes)
The next thing you know, SkyNet will be born from this cluster! Especially considering this would take place on the Governator's state. ;)
;)
Better get those EMPs ready though, I'm expecting robots from both Terminator and Matrix to come to life after a few days.
From the FlashMob FAQ:
"How do I setup my own flashmob supercomputer? First and foremost, if you can come to FlashMob I -- there's no substitute for first hand experience. Otherwise, start here and get some experience running a one node flashmob. Then run two. Then run ten. Then take over the world."
We're gonna to do it on your computer, then two computers, then ten computers, then your neighborhood. And then we're gonna do it at USF, then California, and then we'll take over the world! YEEEEEEAAARRRRGGHHH!!!
so, I'm going, obviously, but my big question is, beyond benchmarking, are we going to actually COMPUTE anything?
I can't say for sure. Let's hope for their sake that somebody brings a keyboard with a pi button on it, otherwise the whole damn thing will be a waste.
Until Slashdot fixes the funny modifier, use insightful or interesting. The poster knows your intentions.
The article clearly notes that the this will be used to estimate the Airspeed Velocity of an Unladen Swallow. If there's enough time the organizers said they would try for both the African and European Swallow.
FisterBelvedere -- Putting a whole new meaning to "streaks on the china" since 1996.
They could perhaps put together a super spelling/grammar checker. From the web site...
>your computers' firepower
>Plus they'll be prizes
>the first of it's kind
>least one students thesis
>By in large
>software for it's problem set
>information on Flash Mob Computing computing
>couldn't finish it's job
>better at solving certain types of problems then grid computers
In Soviet Russia, Supercomputer mob flashes YOU!!
Take that hard drive out and scrub it with a brillo pad.
A better name for this project might be Flash Petri Dish.
> Maybe somebody should point out that is not the first time somebody has done such
> a thing.
Yeah, but now the media has invented a stupid name for it. But yes, it is a little late 1990s, isn't it.
I wonder how many extension cords they'll populate before they flip the circuit breaker.
It's called the internet. D'oh!
"Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
a random code-swap where a bunch of us get together and hand eachother a blank disc with the source code to something nifty on it to play with.
I was pretty much right alongside the whole idea until you typed that last bit. Having heard that, I'm thinking you might want to reexamine your plan a bit.
To celebrate the occasion of my 1000th post, I will post no more forever on Slashdot. Goodbye.
Bullshit, eveyone just bring a powerstrip and 'daisy chain' those bad boys....
My first thought was "Neat." My second thought was "Who in their right mind would connect their computer to a network FULL of strangers? What sort of viruses and trojans would they pick up?" Then I remembered that I am connected to the internet as well as everyone reading this ...
is it that bad seein a hot chick again? if i see a hot chick walkin down the hall i dont say "repost"
like the NYT is going to be slashdotted?
Those are the nastiest computers I have ever seen. Whatever happened to the plain old gray cases? Or whoever has seen the customer wooden computer cabinets some guy made?
...i thought this was about mobs of people bringing their computers to times square for 10 minutes setting up a quick LAN and ten disappear again!
Jonathanjk.com
Great idea! If everyone were to turn up with a model rocket, we could strap them all to a chair, and blast someone into orbit. It's bound to work.
If I seem short sighted, it is because I stand on the shoulders of midgets
Can you provide us with a small, used nuclear power-station please (Gigawatt range only please).
Need not have transmission voltages, IEC leads will suffice.....
Ripping an new rectum in the fabric of spacetime.