[gumby5647]

This kinda hasn't been brought up for a long time...but is there still cheating going on with SETI? I remember awhile ago it was a HUGE problem.


The only reason I ask this is because i got to looking at some of the teams around us right now:

United BASTARDS from BV-Ost
Members: 3
Avg. daily production: 5,960


EVAPSS
Members: 7
Avg. daily production: 2,223


So,...in other words. 10 people are producing 8,183 units on average a day. That means that every person in those groups is producing an average of 818 units a day.

I'd like to think it's entirely plausible that these 10 members have that many machines at their disposal...but its a hard pill to swallow

[reader50]

One of the best ways to spot cheating is to check individual production history. The cheater will have low to moderate production, then they get impatient, or track down this neat hack. Overnight, production hits the stratosphere.

Unfortunately, both those teams appeared on our radar recently, and tracking was turned on after they got close. I don't have production history on their members.

Someone with access to a computer lab (or labs) over the holidays *could* put out numbers like that. But several examples all doing it suggests either a company/campus group, or cheaters. It might be worth dropping an email to Berkeley, let them check it out.

If you did send an email, I'd suggest that you write how concerned you are for the data integrity of the project, you are worried that possibly invalid units could mess up the project results. It actually won't since every unit is crunched by 4-6 people, and the server will notice results that don't agree closely. But past experience shows the server doesn't deal with any cheaters, it apparently goes with the more valid units and ignores the results that don't agree with the majority. Doing something about persistent cheater accounts, like taking away unearned credit, requires human intervention.

[gumby5647]

I just sent an email to the Project director...(i think). Hopefully something will come out of it.

United BASTARDS from BV-Ost with 3 members is now pulling over 10,734 a day.

That ain't right.......i don't care who ya are....

[gumby5647]

This HAS to be some sort of record....

United BASTARDS from BV-Ost
Members: 3
Daily Production: 20,128

[mikkyo]

Is this for the Boinc version of Seti?
If so, you can merge all your machines into one.
So you could have 10000 machines and it would say you had 1.

[gumby5647]

Originally posted by mikkyo:
Is this for the Boinc version of Seti?
If so, you can merge all your machines into one.
So you could have 10000 machines and it would say you had 1.

Still. Either way...that's ridiculus numbers for a team with 3 members.

[Shaktai]

That is for SETI Classic. A few folks trying to "pump up" their numbers before the project ends. This is one of the "Classic" problems that BOINC was designed to prevent.

Interesting thing is the SETI page shows the last work unit received was Tue Dec 21 06:37:57 2004. A pretty sure sign they are just recycling the same work unit over and over and over and over........ Well, you get the idea.

[gumby5647]

Originally posted by Shaktai:
That is for SETI Classic. A few folks trying to "pump up" their numbers before the project ends. This is one of the "Classic" problems that BOINC was designed to prevent.

Interesting thing is the SETI page shows the last work unit received was Tue Dec 21 06:37:57 2004. A pretty sure sign they are just recycling the same work unit over and over and over and over........ Well, you get the idea.

good eye man!

I emailed the project director again,....pointing that out. Hope something will come of it. Still kind of a black eye on a program that is trying to move on to something better.