GridCaf�- What is the Grid?

GridCaf�- What is the Grid?
This is a really informative site that explains grid computing in layman's terms. Grid computing has awesome potential to harness the latent potential of everyone's computer through out the whole world to create a species of distributed computing on a grand, ubiquitous scale unparalleled in current times! The grid is currently being developed to help scientists and computer analysts handle hordes of mathmatical computations and data. Someday,the grid could enable people around the world to communicate with one another as though connected on a local network. The implications, for libraries and schools would be amazing! Libraries could hypothetically obtain the remotest bit of information for a patron because, potentially, every library in the world would be part of a universal system. Of course, this could lead to even more likelihood of libraries becoming virtual repositories transferring information digitally (because who would want to pay the shipping costs for a ten pound book to be sent from Tanzania)? As we all try to understand the concept of grid computing over the next few weeks, let's try to imagine what the implications of this technology might mean to us as future librarians.