Slashdot Mirror
Team Slashdot leads SETI@Home
Rowag writes "Team Slashdot leads all the groups in SETI@Home data evaluation, with over 500 members and more than 6000 result packets chewed up so far. If it helps your team spirit, that's more than 2x the amount from 'Microsoft'. Those of you already signed up, let's keep those packets coming! For those that missed it before, if you've got clock cycles to spare, check it out!
" I hear there is is still a split and a redundant
Slashdot.org team- I suggest we just make this one official
so we can get more of a lead...
Unfortunately it seems that the SETI@home team should've done a bit more testing before starting the project.
Posted on sci.astro:
Greetings!
My name is Jeff Thomas. I am volunteering as a liaison between the SETI@Home Team and the community of users. I live near Berkeley. My goal is to try to improve information flow both ways. I will try to ensure that information is posted on their web pages, and here, in a more timely fashion than has been the case. (It took me some time before I discovered the blank screen, and I worked on 9 subbands in 10 32 45 RA, +20 12 35 dec...) Let me pass along what I have learned:
1. The duplicate work units problem has been fixed. It resulted from disk-space limitations (how many WU's will fit on a floppy?....), which have been dealt with. The new servers will doubtless help even more. This was not a scam or a conn job or whatever. They fixed the problem as quickly as they could. They should certainly have let people know more prominently about the problem. They have been a bit clueless about the importance of communication. My goal is to help with that.
2. Server-connection problems have been greatly reduced, and should also be helped by the new servers.
3. When a WU is at a very small percentage complete, and then jumps to 100%, it is because large amounts of Earth-based radio-frequency interference (RFI) have been detected in the work unit.
4. The 97.x or 98.x percent complete is a result of the algorithm and roundin errors. When the client is done, it is 100% done.
5. Regarding lost work units, and lost credit for work units, yes this has occurred. The 1.0 client deletes its results when it thinks the server has gotten them, and there have been server crashes, so some stuff went into the bit bucket. Server and client improvements should eliminate this problem.
6. What will be fixed in the next client, due out next week, includes:
o The proxy bug (partial or full fix), to allow use of ports other than 80.
o CPU time can be incorrectly calculated on Windows. This will be fixed.
o There will be better messages.
o The "Click OK" problem will be fixed.
7. Regarding stats problems, let me first say that I hope the guys who programmed this did not write the science code! I do not understand the full story here, but the following tidbits of information might help. I know that they are working on getting this right.
o The client sends stats to the server, but it also gets them from the server.
o The server updates the stats on the web page on an hourly basis, except for the domain and team stats, which are updated daily.
8. Regarding the 99999 power spikes, these are the maximum because of a cut-off at 100000. The spikes just under 100000 are outliers as well. All for now. I hope that I can help improve the flow of information. I will be writing things up for the web pages, and sharing information with this and other groups.
-- Jeff Thomas
The FAQ claims no source code is available "for security reasons". Hasn't the whole "security through obscurity" thing been discredited?