What is the OCP?
How long has it been going on?
How many machines are part of it?
How can I help?
Helpful Links

 

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What is the OCP?

The Oblivious Computing Project (or OCP) is distributed.net's client running on machines owned by people who have no idea they are contributing to the cause. I work as a computer technician in a small screwdriver shop and decided one day to begin installing the distributed.net client on machines that had net connections that people brought in for some problem or another. I did this without their knowledge or consent for two reasons; one, it would be too much hassle and my boss would probably frown upon it and two, people fear what they don't understand and as soon as they screwed something up on their computer they would blame the client, so I figured what they don't know can't hurt them. The client is perfectly suited to run in the background and only a deliberate search by someone with half a clue (which excludes about 85% of my clientele) would turn it up.

 

How long has it been going on?

I started putting the client on about the 3rd week of October 1998.

 

How many machines are part of it?

Since I cannot accurately judge the total number of machines still running the client and still actively connected to the net and because I didn't want to keep any records of my doings, I can only guess at this figure, which is in the ballpark (as of 10/27) of 6.

 

How can I help?

Are you a computer technician and would like to join the OCP? Please feel free to do so, I only ask that it follows the same format (ie, the customer has no clue) and that you mail me at [email protected] and let me know (this is the same email address I use for the distributed.net client as well)

 

Helpful Links

distributed.net clearing house for all things distributed!
RC564 Stats Page for OCP!