We've shown you can go beyond your wildest dreams in the amount of work you can get done. None of the other nodes working on the project care when the data is returned. For projects that require individual processing units to be in constant communication, the Internet can pose a problem. Even in an age where broadband access has become affordable, network latencies are far greater than the lag time found in traditional multi-processor computers. A still-unstable Internet offers no such assurances.
Security is another concern that has kept distributed computing projects relatively simplistic.
Straightforward mathematical problems always can be quickly and easily verified by a project coordinator if a result is in doubt. But more complicated problems are not so easy to test, and results might be skewed, either unintentionally or in a malicious attempt to sabotage a project. From computer-generated special effects to drug interaction modeling, there are a staggering number of problems that could be farmed out to the general public. Unlike hunting for prime numbers or alien life forms, however, this sort of work is lucrative, and users will expect to be paid. That could take the form of discounts or rebates on Internet access, monthly checks or direct deposits based on work units completed or some other form of performance-based reward.