So is the idea that when we log onto the site, we run programs on our PCs with spare processing power, and then you get paid for that?

Okay, it amounts to this: I would get paid a tiny fraction of a cent by a company called Plura Processing when your CPU does a small portion of work.

Your CPU is used to render this page from HTML and CSS into something you can look at, but right now while you're reading this your CPU probably isn't being used at all. (i.e. it's idling)

The Plura applet allocates a small amount of work for your CPU to do while it's not doing anything else, i.e. while you're writing a response in the chatbox or entering orders, and I get paid a tiny amount for it. Like an advertisement click you need a lot of people for it to add up to anything, but a test which we did last week showed that it could be a practical way of monetizing the site without intrusive advertisements, premium accounts, or holding the site hostage to donations.

It doesn't generate as much money as ads or premium accounts, I'm considering it because it's less intrusive; you don't see it, it simply uses your CPU when it would otherwise not be doing anything. It's also a clever idea and I like the thought of phpDiplomacy being used as a supercomputer, I wouldn't feel like I was whoring the site out to advertisements.

So ideally it's an invisible, harmless way to turn your unused CPU cycles into money that'll give me a good reason to work on the more mundane code like improved forums etc.

Whether it works out or not we'll see, but in theory it seems like a good idea and the trial seemed to confirm it. If the problems regarding crashes can be resolved it should be a win-win solution

Try it out at http://phpdiplomacy.net/index.php?run_plura_test=1

Now I understand what it does, I can say that I would be more than happy to see it used.

Interesting. I do like the idea in theory (as someone who runs SETI@Home and has more or less since it came out I find distributed computing to be pretty damn cool and interesting).

Next question, and this is mostly just out of pure curiosity:

Why would this company pay you for this? What is the benefit to them if our cpu's are rendering this site?
Are they the company that is hosting/running the servers for the site/would they be? is this just an incentive for you to set it up this way so that they lower their processing needs? Is it an experiment on their part? It does all sound very cool, I'm just curious as to how this all works.

DrOct; Well basically instead of being used to analyze data from radio telescopes like SETI@Home the work being allocated is commercial, i.e. someone is willing to pay for it to be done. The company I'd be dealing with are the middle-men between the companies which pay to have their code run and sites which have visitors to run the code

Also I should note that unlike SETI@Home it isn't a separate program you download, it loads as part of phpdiplomacy.net and goes away once you close it. So for example leaving your computer on with phpdiplomacy open, or keeping it open longer than you otherwise would, would be a way of helping extra without needing to donate

Ah! Ok, I see. So the CPU work that it would be doing wouldn't be for rendering this site, it would be for other uses. Gotcha. That makes sense now. I was misunderstanding what the CPU time would be going for.

Will there be an impact on those of us who check our messages via mobile devices (ie: Windows Mobile 6 enabled PDA with internet).

I will note that I did *not* notice any impact in the past when I checked messages, and I believe you mentioned this was run as a test recently?

Well, aside from the fact that it broke Firefox I have no problems with it. As long as you can resolve that difficulty, then go for it.

stratagos: I'm not sure, the idea is that it uses 70% of your CPU and is set to low priority. That should be just as unintrusive on any computer.
The applet requires Java though, and is run from within an iframe. If your mobile device doesn't support Java applets (or iframes) it won't get run anyway. Try it out: http://phpdiplomacy.net/index.php?run_plura_test=1

If there are problems with any particular rare type of browser that browser can be excluded from running the applet with an easy user agent check, so if it works out except for certain browsers I should be able to work around small problems like that.

dangermouse: It caused Firefox 3.0.1 to crash for one user, if I remember right, other Firefox 3.0.1 users (including myself) had no problems. I'm not trying to play that down, what I'm trying to figure out is why it caused problems for that user in particular so it can be sorted out, and whether anyone else has any other problems
The idea is it's a non-intrusive alternative to ads, so if it causes people's browsers to crash it'll be dropped

It was Dangermouse and myself who experienced the crash. My crash was at home, so I will let you know later today whether its still a problem.

Ah okay, could Dangermouse also try to reproduce the crash here http://phpdiplomacy.net/index.php?run_plura_test=1 , and collect any data from the crash, any conditions which make it more likely etc. Apparently they should be able to sort out any problems with crash data

I tried it, and seems just fine with Firefox 3.0.3 (which until a moment ago I didn't even know I had!) Anyways, I think it's a really smart alternative to annoying ads. I think ethically though you should probably disclose this fact that your using spare CPU processing to new players somewhere though, like in the help or FAQ. I'm sure everyone will be fine with it.

HUUUMMMM,
Are you sure about the intergity of the people that you will be doing this with. I could see cases where they could load unwanted codes etc onto unsuspecting people's computers to possibly steal passwords, etc. Also they could be using my CPU time to process and edit their child pornagraphy, etc. which I would find hard to swallow. Is this a legit company?

> I think ethically though you should probably disclose this fact that
> your using spare CPU processing to new players somewhere
> though, like in the help or FAQ.
Yup, I'm sure there'll be questions about it so I'll put something in the FAQ. An icon also appears at the bottom of the page so it's not entirely invisible

> Are you sure about the intergity of the people that you will be
> doing this with. I could see cases where they could load
> unwanted codes etc onto unsuspecting people's computers to
> possibly steal passwords, etc.
The code runs within a Java applet, which means it's "sandboxed"; it can't write to local files or affect anything really, all it can do is receive data, process it, and send it. Once it's closed, it's gone

The company itself seems legit, I saw it being used on a different site which is where I got the idea from. The rep I've spoke knew what he was talking about

> Also they could be using my CPU time to process and edit their
> child pornagraphy, etc. which I would find hard to swallow.
That's pretty ridiculous.. :-P I can't think of any malicious use for large amounts of processing power. The worst I can think of is brute forcing crypto keys, but that's really unrealistic. Chances are your CPU will be used by, say, pharmaceutical companies and the like, the same people who hire out supercomputers (i.e. not child pornographers)

If you want you can pose as a child pornographer and ask to buy some processing power at http://pluraprocessing.com/ to edit your photos and videos, should be fun :-)
Anyway I've done the research and I'm happy, feel free to do the same

Remember that this does make it very obvious that they are doing what they are doing and also rather costly. Crime in this way is pretty poor, weak crime.

A quick query Kestas. Do we have to download something on the computer, or does it automatically happen when you log on to the site? Sorry if that's been made clear and I've been a bit of a muppet...

Nope its all automatic, try it for yourself: http://phpdiplomacy.net/index.php?run_plura_test=1

youv been a bit of a muppet :p

I agree it is unlikely that something like this would be used for criminal activity, but I will say I do plan to do some research on this company and find out if they do list their clients. Most uses for something like this I would imagine I'd be fine with, but it's worth it to see who their clients are, and if I want my processor time helping them out (or perhaps more accurately if I DON'T want my processor time helping any of them out). On the whole though this sounds like a very interesting idea, and something I'd probably be quite supportive of (especially if it can contribute to improving the site!).

I don't think "unlikely" is the right word DrOct :-P perhaps "absurd" is a better fit; there's really absolutely nothing to worry about, there's simply no criminal use for masses of compute power

It's like a criminal with a leaf-blower or something, you have to get /really/ imaginative to come up with a criminal activity for it (and I'm a computer science student so I'm not speaking out of ignorance here)

Feel free to dig around though, but the only worry about the company being disreputable is if they don't pay up. If you turn up something about short-changed clients I'd be glad to hear about it (but my research turned up nothing)

I should say this thread is mostly about getting people to try the test, getting info from those who experienced crashes from the last trial, because I have no ethical concerns about this at all and the thought that there would be ethical concerns hadn't occurred to me until the baffling "child pornography" comment :-)

I think we should stay focused on people checking that it works with their system, and reporting any technical problems they have

http://phpdiplomacy.net/index.php?run_plura_test=1

Leaf blowers can act as very dangerous decoys. If you want to mug somebody, get a companion to blow leaves up nearby to makes sure there are no witnesses.

Similarly, use masses of computer power on a weird photograph manipulation, waste police time on trying to decode it, and get off conviction because you cannot be held under arrest for more than a short length of time. It'll distract the police.

Of course I am just demonstrating the point being made.

I haven't had any trouble.

I use Opera, btw.

Well, this is my view: make it optional and keep it optional.
There are many people who are very happy to support the site, of which I am one, but sometimes this would be too much of a loss - my CPU can be troubled enough at times, and starting Java on one of my regular PC's has been known to crash the entire OS!
So, I suggest you make it an option at the login screen (default on). People can disable it when they log in, but by default you'll get the funds coming in.

I was just use the pornography as an example, I have no idea how any of this works.