Applications

Ajax and Web 2.0 are claimed to be one of the area where sideband method is used. It is said that Ajax is conducted through asynchronously though additional channel other than a browser-server’s main HTTP channel.

Examples of sideband computing in this sense include collaborative filtering, online auctions, online ranking, mashing up, prediction markets, reputation systems, computational social choice, tagging, and verification games using Ajax.

A typical setup would involve that the server allows each client to do a small amount of work and the server coordinates and aggregates results every client to form a larger picture.

For instance, when sideband computing applies to the social computing based on each client creating or recreating social conventions and social contexts through the use of client’s computing resource, software and technology.

Many social networking services, which utilize The Wisdom of Crowds, such as Wikis, social bookmaking, blogging, instant messaging, online bidding, and other kinds of electronic market or electronic negotiation platforms where people interact socially, could found the trace of sideband method.

Another application of the sideband computing method is P2P, where a peer could not only a client or a server, in addition, it also acts as other roles including routing, proxying, caching.

Other claimed area of the sideband computing method are grid computing, clouding computing, cluster computing and utility computing where a node could perform functions more than its primary duty through a sideband channel.