Public grid computing participation: An exploratory study of determinants

Abstract

Using the Internet, “public” computing grids can be assembled using “volunteered” PCs. To achieve this, volunteers download and install a software application capable of sensing periods of low local processor activity. During such times, this program on the local PC downloads and processes a subset of the project's data. At the completion of processing, the results are uploaded to the project and the cycle repeats.

Public grids are being used for a wide range of endeavors, from searching for signals suggesting extraterrestrial life to finding a cure for cancer. Despite the potential benefits, however, participation has been relatively low. The work reported here, drawing from technology acceptance and volunteer literature, suggests that the grid operator's reputation, the project's perceived need, and the level of volunteering activity of the PC owner are significant determinants of participation in grid projects. Attitude, in addition to personal innovativeness and level of volunteering activity, predicted intentions to join the project. Thus, methods traditionally used for motivating volunteer behavior may be effective in promoting the use of grid computing.