Is using of BOINC safe?

Message boards : Questions and problems : Is using of BOINC safe?
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gskoczylas

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Joined: 18 Aug 08
Posts: 4
Poland
Message 19577 - Posted: 18 Aug 2008, 21:41:13 UTC

The number of BOINC projects systematically is increasing. I am participating in it for a few years.

Recently I started thinking whether some organization somehow is checking these projects. When I can be sure, whether somebody didn't create the fictional BOINC project, for example in order to break safety barriers and the like?

Grzegorz Skoczylas
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Keck_Komputers
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Joined: 29 Aug 05
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United States
Message 19578 - Posted: 18 Aug 2008, 22:04:39 UTC

There is no organization checking new projects. Since BOINC is open source it is impossible to check all new projects. It is up to the participant to do some looking before signing up for a new project.

This is also one of the improvements in the version 6 clients; a bad project is less likely to be able to do damage to your computer.
BOINC WIKI

BOINCing since 2002/12/8
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Nicolas

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Joined: 19 Jan 07
Posts: 1179
Argentina
Message 19593 - Posted: 19 Aug 2008, 14:04:14 UTC - in response to Message 19577.  

Recently I started thinking whether some organization somehow is checking these projects. When I can be sure, whether somebody didn't create the fictional BOINC project, for example in order to break safety barriers and the like?

You can never be sure; just like you can never be completely sure if any .exe you download is malicious, or if there is porn behind a link. But you can use some common sense, assume good faith, and attach only to widely-known projects.
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John McLeod VII
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Message 19619 - Posted: 19 Aug 2008, 22:37:14 UTC - in response to Message 19593.  

Recently I started thinking whether some organization somehow is checking these projects. When I can be sure, whether somebody didn't create the fictional BOINC project, for example in order to break safety barriers and the like?

You can never be sure; just like you can never be completely sure if any .exe you download is malicious, or if there is porn behind a link. But you can use some common sense, assume good faith, and attach only to widely-known projects.

There actually have been a couple of questionable projects. Anybody remember shoft? Caution on the part of users is the watchword.

BOINC WIKI
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Message boards : Questions and problems : Is using of BOINC safe?

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