Reply To: Toshiba's "Micro Nuclear Reactor" – it's not fusion, but it's here now

[Rezwan]

Re, criteria #2, What’s “short”? I’m thinking that means it has a discrete end in sight. They do say, “bite size” somewhere. Simulations wouldn’t work here, as that is specialized, long term work.

But you want people to take a data set and an algorithm for cleaning it up, and develop a javascript around that. Right? That could be “bite size” for a java programmer.

If they need to develop the algorithm, too, then not.

More info on microvolunteering vs. virtual volunteering:

Virtual volunteering, as it has been done to date,* is exactly like in-person volunteering, but the work takes place remotely. It’s like telecommuting to work.

So, all of the same management rules are in place. You will usually be trained, vetted, and accepted for a volunteer position. You will have a direct manager. You will do work and will send it to your manager for review. The manager will approve the work or ask for revisions. The manager will tell you that you’ve done an amazing job – or that you could stand a little more training. Communication will happen via email, typically. But it could also happen via a phone call – or via a project management web site like Basecamp. This is volunteering, remotely, from a more convenient location.

If you review my definition of microvolunteering, you can see that virtual volunteering checks off only one of the four key defining characteristics: convenience. Just to review those points briefly, microvolunteering is: convenient, bite-sized, crowdsourced, and network-managed.

Virtual volunteering is convenient, small or large sized, and managed via a traditional one-to-one or one-to-many hierarchical management method.

Why are these distinctions so important? Because they lead to a process of work that is wildly different. And yet, the result of the work may be precisely the same! How’s that for interesting?

Does this apply here? I’m thinking ABD Reece has cleared away some of the thornier obstacles, and it may now be down to a “bite size” thing for those Java scripters who are over the learning curve.