Media Grid

Media Grid (http://MediaGrid.org/) is an online service for the processing and distribution of media in reference to networkable projects. This service is designed for massive projects that require a vast amount of processing power and memory space. As a result such a service would not be extremely useful to our class as our projects were small in scale and rather simple in their application. However if we did have access to this service and could use it for whatever purpose we wished there is one or two ways Media Grid could have assisted us as a class.

The first and foremost way is to provide access to the Boston Tea Party mod online at all times via a dedicated server. This is normally a bit below Media Grid's purpose, as such a server can be provided by many such services. However an additional feature would have been a helpful addition to the BTP mod. Instead of simply being available for viewing, the mod could also be malleable by the end users (our class). Objects could be altered and included to the mod on the fly with the Media Grid service assisting with the rendering and processing requirements.

The second possible application of the Media Grid service would be to provide a virtual classroom for times when meeting at Boston College are impossible. Students would meet in a virtual world where the next lesson could be demonstrated in real time and discussions could take place between students and instructors, also in real time. This would be beyond a simple forum, but instead could almost exactly replicate the classroom atmosphere in all aspects.

Beyond these possibilities I cannot see any other useful application of the Media Grid service. It's potential is far beyond our goals for the class and even the options described above are not necessary for the class to succeed.