Flash Mob Supercomputer?

Flash Mob Supercomputer? 259

Posted by timothy on Monday February 23, 2004 @05:18AM from the all-the-cool-kids-are-doing-it dept.

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!"

Flash Mob Supercomputer?

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Obvious... (Score:2, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @05:19AM (#8360732)

Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these babies!

licenses (Score:5, Funny)

by SHEENmaster ( 581283 ) writes: <travis@utk. e d u> on Monday February 23, 2004 @05:20AM (#8360738) Homepage Journal

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.)

At last something that qualifies (Score:4, Funny)

by Crypto Gnome ( 651401 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @05:22AM (#8360745) Homepage Journal

At last, something that qualifies for the appelation "News for Nerds, Stuff that Matters".

Twice over, even.

Rock on! (Score:3, Funny)

by lord_nightrose ( 652871 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @05:27AM (#8360753) Homepage

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...

Laptops preferred? (Score:4, Funny)

by Brainix ( 748988 ) writes: <brainix@gmail.com> on Monday February 23, 2004 @05:32AM (#8360766) Homepage

But these [joe-ks.com] are so much cooler!

Re:licenses (Score:3, Funny)

by baneblackblade ( 682424 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @05:32AM (#8360767) Homepage

nah, they'll probably use the supercomputer to DOS sco.com again as the kicker for their gaming competition.

Watch out for those basketball players... (Score:3, Funny)

by xoran99 ( 745620 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @05:34AM (#8360771)

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...

SkyNet is coming!!! (Score:3, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @05:35AM (#8360773)

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. ;)

Re:licenses (Score:5, Funny)

by eclectro ( 227083 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @05:39AM (#8360786)

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

No, the first thing on their minds is the question "why aren't there any girls here?"

Then we're gonna... (Score:5, Funny)

by wan-fu ( 746576 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @05:45AM (#8360802)

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!!!

Re:I'm there! (Score:3, Funny)

by illuminata ( 668963 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @05:46AM (#8360803) Journal

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.

Re:I'm there! (Score:5, Funny)

by FisterBelvedere ( 754614 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @05:47AM (#8360809)

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.

Comment removed (Score:4, Funny)

by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @05:50AM (#8360819)

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Whatever happened to proof reading? (Score:3, Funny)

by terremoto ( 679350 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @05:56AM (#8360835)

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

Robot Genitals Burning Your Retinas (Score:3, Funny)

by jms258 ( 569015 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @05:59AM (#8360849)

In Soviet Russia, Supercomputer mob flashes YOU!!

When you get home (Score:3, Funny)

by Illserve ( 56215 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:14AM (#8360879)

Take that hard drive out and scrub it with a brillo pad.

A better name for this project might be Flash Petri Dish.

Re:SkyNet is coming!!! (Score:1, Funny)

by DrMrLordX ( 559371 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:25AM (#8360915)

If Skynet emerges from this project, expect it to do nothing more than camp spawns, wallhack, and bitch and moan about anyone who knows how to use a rocket launcher really well.

Re:The first time ... NOT (Score:2, Funny)

by Threni ( 635302 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:27AM (#8360921)

> 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.

Re:Whatever happened to proof reading? (Score:1, Funny)

by mek2600 ( 677900 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:29AM (#8360924) Homepage Journal

The spellchecker will be the first thing they run on that cluster. You'd need a badass powerful system to sort through all those errors.

So many geeks, so few outlets... (Score:2, Funny)

by Cerberus9 ( 466562 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:31AM (#8360928)

I wonder how many extension cords they'll populate before they flip the circuit breaker.

Can't wait (Score:5, Funny)

by mstefanus ( 705346 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:44AM (#8360958)

I can't wait for the next Slashdot headline on this. I'm imagining...

"Flash Mob: 13 people turned up. No GigaFLOPS, just a flop"

HA! I can already do this without leaving home... (Score:4, Funny)

by WIAKywbfatw ( 307557 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @06:58AM (#8360987) Journal

It's called the internet. D'oh!

Re:Other Practical Uses are Bound to Surface... (Score:2, Funny)

by zangdesign ( 462534 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @07:33AM (#8361050) Journal

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.

Re:When you get home (Score:1, Funny)

by PowerBert ( 265553 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @07:35AM (#8361056) Homepage

That has a ring to it.

Flash Petri Dish. Instant Culture.
It could hit the charts somewhere between SARS and Chicken Flu.

Electrical power could be an issue... (Score:5, Funny)

by TitanBL ( 637189 ) writes: <(brandon) (at) (titan-internet.com)> on Monday February 23, 2004 @07:48AM (#8361080)

Bullshit, eveyone just bring a powerstrip and 'daisy chain' those bad boys....

Re:licenses (Score:5, Funny)

by lewp ( 95638 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @08:03AM (#8361117) Journal

Geek delusion #42:
The only reason girls avoid me is because they're jealous of my supercomputer.

Fly in the Ointment? (Score:3, Funny)

by sithkhan ( 536425 ) writes: <sithkhan@gmail.com> on Monday February 23, 2004 @08:20AM (#8361161)

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 ...

NYT slashdotted? I think not. (Score:1, Funny)

by Zilfondel2 ( 662431 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @08:21AM (#8361169)

like the NYT is going to be slashdotted?

UGLY! (Score:1, Funny)

by Zilfondel2 ( 662431 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @08:27AM (#8361180)

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?

When i saw the title... (Score:2, Funny)

by CrackedButter ( 646746 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @08:34AM (#8361199) Homepage Journal

...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!

Re:Other Practical Uses are Bound to Surface... (Score:4, Funny)

by kinnell ( 607819 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @08:42AM (#8361236)

we should look into other applications for the Flash Mob, like a rocket-building day for the X-Prize
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.

Can you provide...... (Score:3, Funny)

by reality-bytes ( 119275 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:54AM (#8361565) Homepage

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.....

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Flash Mob Supercomputer? 259

Flash Mob Supercomputer? More Login

Flash Mob Supercomputer?

Obvious... (Score:2, Funny)

licenses (Score:5, Funny)

At last something that qualifies (Score:4, Funny)

Rock on! (Score:3, Funny)

Laptops preferred? (Score:4, Funny)

Re:licenses (Score:3, Funny)

Watch out for those basketball players... (Score:3, Funny)

SkyNet is coming!!! (Score:3, Funny)

Re:licenses (Score:5, Funny)

Then we're gonna... (Score:5, Funny)

Re:I'm there! (Score:3, Funny)

Re:I'm there! (Score:5, Funny)

Comment removed (Score:4, Funny)

Whatever happened to proof reading? (Score:3, Funny)

Robot Genitals Burning Your Retinas (Score:3, Funny)

When you get home (Score:3, Funny)

Re:SkyNet is coming!!! (Score:1, Funny)

Re:The first time ... NOT (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Whatever happened to proof reading? (Score:1, Funny)

So many geeks, so few outlets... (Score:2, Funny)

Can't wait (Score:5, Funny)

HA! I can already do this without leaving home... (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Other Practical Uses are Bound to Surface... (Score:2, Funny)

Re:When you get home (Score:1, Funny)

Electrical power could be an issue... (Score:5, Funny)

Re:licenses (Score:5, Funny)

Fly in the Ointment? (Score:3, Funny)

NYT slashdotted? I think not. (Score:1, Funny)

UGLY! (Score:1, Funny)

When i saw the title... (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Other Practical Uses are Bound to Surface... (Score:4, Funny)

Can you provide...... (Score:3, Funny)

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