Message boards :
Number crunching :
Do we have a Boinc virus?
Message board moderation
Previous · 1 . . . 11 · 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 . . . 27 · Next
Author | Message |
---|---|
Michael Send message Joined: 21 Aug 99 Posts: 4608 Credit: 7,427,891 RAC: 18 |
I applaud this proposal. For the more paranoid, I'd allow hiding the OS version, but that's about all. There is indeed no reason to hide the hosts, unless you cheat in some way or install BOINC illegally on computers without permission. I find it more irresponsible to just stick our heads in the sand and pretend that Seti@Home have the time and resources to monitor. We can and should police each other. There is no privacy in hiding your computers, as there is no personal information displayed to begin with. |
Mac-Nic Send message Joined: 29 Jun 00 Posts: 165 Credit: 551,008 RAC: 0 |
I don't have the time to monitor 300,000 + accounts so please let some off them stay hidden. :-p "The FUTURE is only a PARTICLE away from the PRESENT and the PAST." |
Beach Bum Send message Joined: 13 Nov 05 Posts: 178 Credit: 611,717 RAC: 0 |
I found this interesting googling his name. It comes back with an e-mail account for a UK company,, that just happens to be a sub division of a germany company. Interesting connection I say Join Hawaiian Beach Bums-Team SETI Join Hawaiian Beach Bums-Team Predictor Join Hawaiian Beach Bums-Team Einstein Join Hawaiian Beach Bums-Team Climate Prediction Join Hawaiian Beach Bums-Team LHC Join Hawaiian Beach Bums-Team Lattice Beach Bums Current Stats: Come Join us at Hawaiian Beach Bums |
3quarks Send message Joined: 19 Jun 03 Posts: 95 Credit: 354,773 RAC: 0 |
i believe, 99,999999 percent of the users of BOINC are trustworthy. Hmm, interesting concept, with 381000 SETI users, this implies only 0.00381, or of 1/262, part of a single user is untrustworthy. |
trux Send message Joined: 6 Feb 01 Posts: 344 Credit: 1,127,051 RAC: 0 |
The purpose of "hidden" hosts is meant for privacy. If a user wishes not to share this kind of information with the public, they should be entitled to this choice.Can you tell us what privacy is violated by publishing the number of hosts and their RAC, and couple of other anonymous details? And what privacy reasons would one have for hiding them, other than cheating or using the computers illegally? I admit that I am rather paranoid as for security and privacy in Internet goes, but really do not see any reason for hiding my PC's in BOINC. If you wish staying anonymous, make sure you chose an anonymous alias. If you fear that posting on borads may help someone identifying you, create another alias for the boards only. Well, I think I have a solution for those who necessarilly want to stay privy: let's allow complete hiding of the account. It means people who decide to stay anonymous will not appear in any charts or statistics at all. They will be in no teams either. They will be simply nowhere mentioned at all, and will never figure in any statistics or listings at all either, not even as an anonymous number - that should fully satisfy any privacy concerns and still avoid most of the cheating that is quite likely caused by greed for credits. And it will satisfy those who do not like the idea that there are cheaters and crooks among the stat leaders, or even maybe in their own team. I don't have the time to monitor 300,000 + accounts so please let some off them stay hidden. :-pNobody asks you. You can bet though that some of the >300000 users will find the time to look at least at couple of suspects. How would un-hiding someone’s computers help in telling if they are up to something fishy?If someone's computer gets RAC of 20,000, it is fishy. Maybe not impossible, but fishy, unless we have an explanation. If someone has 30,000 hosts, it is fishy - it is not easily imaginable that an individual could have or control such amount of computers. Not impossible, but fishy. If someone shows up with computers of 20 CPU's each it is fishy. Not impossible, but fishy,... If someones computer permanently claim unexplainable high credits, especially in projects with low quorum, then it is extremely fishy,... etc. etc. trux BOINC software Freediving Team Czech Republic |
Mike Send message Joined: 17 Feb 01 Posts: 34255 Credit: 79,922,639 RAC: 80 |
Hi You hit the nail on his head. Totally agree. regards Mike With each crime and every kindness we birth our future. |
Alinator Send message Joined: 19 Apr 05 Posts: 4178 Credit: 4,647,982 RAC: 0 |
Well, as has been pointed out, the main goal of the current production projects is to give the general public a means to give scientists a hand in some of their gnarlier computational problems on a voluntary, donation basis. A 'Stone has no intrinsic value, other than what the participant(s) place on it. On the other hand, since credit is granted as a carrot to encourage participation, every reasonable effort should be taken to ensure the book keeping is as fair and accurate as possible. This current issue has demonstrated the SAH team intends to enforce the rules and policies they have established for the project whenever violations are brought to light and can be *proven*. This means whether or not the number or performance of a participants equipment seems "fishy" or not to some other group of participants is irrelevant to the standard SAH *must* apply when they investigate or even choose to investigate. Likewise, the BOINC team decided it was desirable to be able to allow participants to hide all data about their participation if they so choose, and rightfully so. I could go along with a rule change that in order for your account to be published and ranked in the publicly available individual, host, and team stats you must allow viewing of the equipment online. On the other hand, you have this current situation where Mr. Geise has been thoroughly dissed here in a public forum, based on circumstantial evidence regardless of how "apparent" it may appear, in spite of the fact Matt has stepped in a couple of times to attempt to tone down the rhetoric. Until one starts getting royalty checks from Berkeley, do you think it is wise to be starting the "SETI Inquisition" over something as stupid as Cobblestones? Alinator |
Michael Send message Joined: 21 Aug 99 Posts: 4608 Credit: 7,427,891 RAC: 18 |
Kinda like NEZ and his 301,000 RAC. Suspect...but I heard he's legit. |
BlkJack-21 Send message Joined: 31 Aug 99 Posts: 108 Credit: 2,288,501 RAC: 0 |
Regarding policing others: If anyone has the time and interest in doing so, so be it. No disagreement here. When discussing "hidden" computers. This particuar issue regarding a trojan/worm was not discovered because of this. I am in disagreement when one says that anyone who choses to have their computers "hidden" is guilty of cheating. Not wanting the public to see number of systems, what types of CPU, OS and breakdown of credits is certainly a choice of privacy. Otherwise Berkeley would have never given users the discretion of keeping this information private. Certainly this issue will have differences of opinion. Fortunately this forum allows us to voice our differences of opinion. :) |
Michael Send message Joined: 21 Aug 99 Posts: 4608 Credit: 7,427,891 RAC: 18 |
I don't recall anyone saying that. I do however suscribe to the idea that if someone has an ungodly amount of RAC,(301,000) that hiding the computers might seem suspect. But that's all it is, suspect. |
Alinator Send message Joined: 19 Apr 05 Posts: 4178 Credit: 4,647,982 RAC: 0 |
I think due to this incident it's now guilt by association, or at least heading that way. Alinator |
BlkJack-21 Send message Joined: 31 Aug 99 Posts: 108 Credit: 2,288,501 RAC: 0 |
@Michael Buckingham my latest posts are in response to this statement. I applaud this proposal. For the more paranoid, I'd allow hiding the OS version, but that's about all. There is indeed no reason to hide the hosts, unless you cheat in some way or install BOINC illegally on computers without permission. |
Misfit Send message Joined: 21 Jun 01 Posts: 21804 Credit: 2,815,091 RAC: 0 |
I'm really wondering if this NEZ guy isn't also using BOINC as a trojan payload package. Typically within the standings you should see an even progression of RAC and total credit. But his completely outclasses the #2 position of each (especally now that the alleged virus guy is gone.) Let's look at this. (Values rounded off) NEZ #1 in total credit: 54 million University of Oulu #2 : 7 million NEZ #1 in RAC: 301 thousand Fermilab Farm #2: 64 thousand (error in looking Fermilab's computers, can't read ../cache/cc/hosts_user.php_userid%3D40%26show_all%3D0; lastmod 1139159036) He's ignored all questions about his computers also. If this doesn't look like cheating I don't know what does. At the very least I think Matt L should take a look at the IP addresses of the hosts sending in these results and see if we have the same issue as before. me@rescam.org |
trux Send message Joined: 6 Feb 01 Posts: 344 Credit: 1,127,051 RAC: 0 |
I am in disagreement when one says that anyone who choses to have their computers "hidden" is guilty of cheating.You do not want the information to be public? Sure, you can have your privacy if desired. You have your full right for it. No problem, but disappear from the listings and stats completely! It's as simple as that. Kinda like NEZ and his 301,000 RAC.No, as you can see in the discussion below, it's an urband legend that someone has shown he is legit. Well, of course, unless proven guilty, he is innocent, but nobody offered any explanation of his high RAC, and his only single post on this board was completely off-topic (Misfit's Babe of the Day), where he ignored questions about his RAC with no comments. I am sorry, but I have real troubles understanding that a single person can control several (possibly many) thousands of computers to achieve such a RAC. To me a Trojan in style of Carsten Giese is the most apparent explanation. See more arguments below. Of course, I may be very well wrong, and that's why I would love that he posts some explanation or that BOINC team looks at him closer - but I understand they have other things to do, than policing abusers. trux BOINC software Freediving Team Czech Republic |
UBT - Halifax--lad Send message Joined: 13 Dec 00 Posts: 433 Credit: 13,900 RAC: 0 |
I'm really wondering if this NEZ guy isn't also using BOINC as a trojan payload package. Typically within the standings you should see an even progression of RAC and total credit. But his completely outclasses the #2 position of each (especally now that the alleged virus guy is gone.) Let's look at this. this is turning into a witch hunt now Join us in Chat (see the forum) Click the Sig Join UBT |
Temujin Send message Joined: 19 Oct 99 Posts: 292 Credit: 47,872,052 RAC: 0 |
No, as you can see in the discussion below, it's an urband legend that someone has shown he is legit. Well, of course, unless proven guilty, he is innocent, but nobody offered any explanation of his high RAC, and his only single post on this board was completely off-topic (Misfit's Babe of the Day), where he ignored questions about his RAC with no comments. I am sorry, but I have real troubles understanding that a single person can control several (possibly many) thousands of computers to achieve such a RAC. To me a Trojan in style of Carsten Giese is the most apparent explanation. See more arguments below. Of course, I may be very well wrong, and that's why I would love that he posts some explanation or that BOINC team looks at him closer - but I understand they have other things to do, than policing abusers. I have some 40+ machines in my farm, thanks mainly to the CPUs at my work and most of my RAC comes from 25-30 of the machines. It has always surprised me that I've managed to get to #6 in RAC with what I consider to be a good few machines rather than lots of machines. I have no reason to doubt the legitimacey of NEZ and in fact I would expect there to be more people with that sort of RAC. Some people just have access to hundreds of machines. You do not want the information to be public? Sure, you can have your privacy if desired. You have your full right for it. No problem, but disappear from the listings and stats completely! It's as simple as that. Why?? This smacks of do it my way or no way. The rankings list everybody, why would you want to remove people that want to keep their computers hidden. If I chose to hide my computers why should I be removed from the listings? |
Misfit Send message Joined: 21 Jun 01 Posts: 21804 Credit: 2,815,091 RAC: 0 |
this is turning into a witch hunt now While we're at it let's release all convicted computer hackers from prison because in the beginning they were also the victim of a 'witch hunt'. Put that in any color you want. |
UBT - Halifax--lad Send message Joined: 13 Dec 00 Posts: 433 Credit: 13,900 RAC: 0 |
this is turning into a witch hunt now ok here it is in green is turning into a witch hunt now Everyone who who has got a high score is now getting branded of as dodgy just because computers are hidden time to get a grip folks Join us in Chat (see the forum) Click the Sig Join UBT |
Misfit Send message Joined: 21 Jun 01 Posts: 21804 Credit: 2,815,091 RAC: 0 |
this is turning into a witch hunt now nope, you had to go and mess it up. :( |
Misfit Send message Joined: 21 Jun 01 Posts: 21804 Credit: 2,815,091 RAC: 0 |
|
©2024 University of California
SETI@home and Astropulse are funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and donations from SETI@home volunteers. AstroPulse is funded in part by the NSF through grant AST-0307956.