Why all the hate? So far it just looks like a monetization tool to embed in a Chrome extension. Nothing says it's going to run there by default. We have no info on the presence or absence of compulsory disclaimers. Nor do we have any info about the default quotas of daily processing per install.

If the extension provides value to the user, it might be a way to compensate the provider for the said value. The same way ads compensate the provider of apps. In either case, computing time and bandwidth are used.

Now, having said that, if it ran 24/7 and used GBs of bandwidth per day on a single node, I would definitely side with you. But if it was embedded in a way where you get extra value once you enable it, that's another question.

Who gets paid? The Chrome Extension developer? But it is the user machine/network performing the work, right?

There is something in this I don't like. Can't quite put my finger on it.