My computer sits idle on my desk for the vast majority of the day… any suggestions of ways to donate my unused computing cycles to people who are backtesting their trading strategies? One example: http://cloud.mql5.com
Like a Bitcoin system for slightly underpaid quants that can’t afford real hardware?
Donate computer cycles so that people can trade against you more effectively??? That sounds like a winning formula.
Well, any “donation” of computer power should be to a common good cause - cancer research or something. The link describes selling computer capacity; the company will actually pay you to participate. In that case, if people ultimately pay me for access, I don’t care who uses the cloud.
Cloud aggregation of computing power in general seems like a good idea, since it is true that everyone has redundant and unused capacity. In fact, any commoditization of resources seems like a good idea, as we will be able to exchange one resource for another and maximize overall efficiency. This cloud computing thing, for instance, makes money and computer capacity inter changeable.
Bitcoin mining seems pretty inefficient to me, since people will use a lot of computing resources to solve made up problems. Or do I misunderstand some hidden benefit of Bitcoin mining?
The early mapping of DNA was done in large part through cycle-donations. A good friend of mine was doing a chemistry PHD back in the mid-90’s and said that there was a worldwide community of scientists who’d share computer time (usually on UNIX boxes).
I remember SETI had their shared computing project SETI@home. It came with interesting graphics that could run a screensaver for a while. That was half the fun.
Nah, the average algorithmic trading strategy doesn’t beat an index anyways… so they can churn all they want while I invest passively and rake in the dough without lifting a finger.
And yes, you technically do get paid for that MQL5 but I had been doing that for over a year and only made about $3… it probably doesn’t even pay for the electricity costs so it’s still like donating.
What’s their incentive to pay you your full share?
Also, I don’t want the computer to slow down when I am in the middle of watching porn a complicated spreadsheet.