Are there problems with this concept?
Of course there are! If
for some reason your internet goes down, your access to your data also
disappears. There are security concerns with the data and the risk that
companies will use proprietary formats for the files and that require that you
pay for a certain service monthly or you may lose access to your own data
permanently.
So choose wisely when picking a service to use with your
important data and make sure it can be downloaded if needed, but also enjoy the
flexibility those services provide. The wave of the future is in the clouds
Will it change the way we use computers?
The transition from being very ‘personal hardware dependent’ to
a world where resources are shared among the masses is creeping up on us slowly
and unobtrusively. Very many people have already transitioned to using a cloud
environment for most of their time in front of the computer without even
realizing it. Sure, most of us still use some version of Microsoft Office or
Quickbooks that was installed on our computers, but even those kinds of software are now offering an
online version that can be used
instead. The possibility of being able to access your data and software
wherever you need it makes this transition very appealing to most people.
What about you? What cloud services are part of your life?
Jejejeje very funny. Good Article.
ReplyDeleteBut very true. It is indeed a viable conspiracy theory based on the both Submarine Cable disruptions of 2008 & 2011
It is definitely a major threat for a normal user than corporations (given they invest a lot in data back-up -whoever doesn't is stupid).
Would love to hear your views on how local disks/ hardware of an user can be integrated well into the cloud - Google drive is a beginning.
Hey Ravi,
DeleteWell, drop box is competing with google drive in terms of functionality.
Also web hosts can provide online storage capacity that you can buy.
Internet service providers such as Orange are aslo selling cloud computing services were you can store all your data and pay for your usage only.
Best,
Caroline
Nice article. Brings up a very good point about accessibility. I love the idea of being able to access my data from any instrument available to me, simply by logging into my account. That's why all the Google services are so popular I suppose. I especially love the convenience of the Google books app. It even keeps my bookmarks synchronized between all my gadgets! Even the latest mobiles are promoting the use of cloud storage, like dropbox etc.
ReplyDeleteHi Nupur,
DeleteThanks for your comment. Indeed google book app is useful especially if you are an MBA student and need to read billions of PDFs ;-))) I would also recommend you to try ibooks if you are a MAC user or evernote.
Best,
Caroline
one question about it... Who really owns the uploaded information?
ReplyDeleteIt comes to my mind the case when US government closed down megaupload in charges of copyright infringements... FBI didn't allow individuals/companies who had private information there to access it..they lost it or hadn't have access to it for several weeks...
So, even if the cloud is a big advantage, what can be done in such cases?
Hola GV,
DeleteWell, when you upload your data in any cloud services there is usually a " terms and condition" page that normally none of us read and just click on accept. This sometimes gives the right to provider to do ANYTHING with your data. For example, when you put up your Facebook page, you pretty much give the company the right to do whatever they want with it. According to the user agreement, Facebook can "use, copy, publicly display, publicly perform, reformat, excerpt and distribute it."
Best,
Caroline
Interesting scenario of "what if we didn't have access to the Net?" but we are always connected to the Electricity grid, and no one is choosing to use hand cranked radios and TVs asking, "what if the electricity grid went down?" Perhaps the world will discover an equivalent of an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) for Internet access.
ReplyDeleteHi Kiron,
ReplyDeleteMaybe solar chargers? I've seen solar chargers for smart phones but not yet for laptop/ servers.
Power supply is not the only factor that can cut us off from the internet though. I remember in Jan 2011 during the Egyptian revolution the old regime government ordered all national ISP to shut their internet services. Therefore, the Internet was taken down by reconfiguring Telecom Egypt routers BGP settings. All local ISPs were connected to internet through Telecom Egypt. The government couldn't do the same to international ISPs / telecommunication companies. Orange, for example, remained operational with full internet access because they had their own routers and did not rely on Telecom Egypt infrastructure.
Beside discovering an equivalent to UPS, i think the world must also discover a way to stand up for such dictatorship rules!