One minute into the Wikipedia article on cloud computing I had a horrifying waking nightmare that involved everyone on the planet turning on their computers simultaneously to see the logo "Windows 666: Cloud Edition"

While I can see the advantages for resource management I can also see a dead-end for technological development. All development depends on diversity, freedom, and change. All 3 of these seem to be lacking in a world all computing is controlled by a VERY small group of individuals under the internet as a public utility model.

Please tell I am being paranoid... or at least tell me I'll be dead before they implement it. Z/Z

I am unimpressed by all the hoopla around Cloud Computing, it is for the most part the same thing we have been doing for decades only without the catch phrases and pretense that it is different, it is not. You are right to be paranoid about the internet devolving into a public utility model and managed by a small and select group of people/business/government.

Hands off the Internet Big Government and Big Business, you will get burned if you don't leave it alone. Because of the over-simplification of political and capitalistic perception of the Internet.

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If my comments were of interest give me a pat on the back (raise my rep)

I wish you would have lied and told me I was paranoid or going to die soon... I would have slept well knowing I was crazy or going to die before the last remnant of human freedom died. Z/Z

As near as I can tell, "cloud computing," at least from the consumer point of view, is marketese for "client-server where someone else controls the server."

It has some practical uses I can see--collaboration via Google Docs being one example that comes to mind, scalable virtual webhosting and off-site data storage for those who need such services being others--but the uses being touted to home users (give us all your data and don't you worry your pretty little head about it) leave me cold.

Moved: This thread is more suitable in <General> and has been moved accordingly to help your thread/question get the exposure it deserves.

Yes, cloud is about centralization and control. They want to turn your computer into a mere terminal where they have the right to deny you access if you displease Big Brother.

You know what I'm gonna do. When:

1) The power of computers starts decreasing.
OR
2) Computers start to become locked in.

I will buy the most powerful computer on the market and hide it. It will become the most prized possession and will probably be punishable by death in the future.

I was discouraged for about a day after I learned of the possibility of government enforcing strict and amoral restrictions on computer usage in the future but then I remembered I am a hacker ( almost ). If they destroy the current network I will just build a better network they have no control over. Which in all honesty is one of the reasons I am researching networking technologies... to have a viable solution ready in the event of a lock down. Obviously I am not a bunker nut and am studying various aspects of networking technology for a number of reasons... just a fortunate (not quite the word I think is most fitting) circumstance that my studies will help me circumvent amoral government restrictions should they be enacted. Z/Z

that's what i was thinking too you know... like , screw the internet, if government takes control over it we'll just get something even better..

But then i think that would be very hard, since the internet already is all over the world , and making a new internet would cost alot ( i think there should be wires on the oceans and stuff , and it would be difficult to maintain them )

so it would cost alot. that's why we should just defend the internet we have to keep it as it is. with no government controlling it

about cloud computing - the idea , is awesome ( have all your files everywhere in the world , all applications would work good , since there would be only one way to write them , and they would run on standard servers and stuff )

But, also people keep in their computers very private information and everyone that has access to those servers could see my information and that sucks..

There are already young crackers getting in trouble over penetrating cloud security SUCCESSFULLY. I highly doubt implementing a new wired infrastructure is necessary.

But defending the current internet is important. But this is all speculation. A full assault on the internet anywhere in the world would be economically and politically disastrous.

But I aint no fool... I have seen greed-oriented morons do some dumb crap in the past so I am going to take reasonable precautions. Z/Z

"Cloud computing" is based on the idea that "computing tasks" can be well-defined and that (any) "computing resources" can be used to address them.

Unfortunately, it is mostly marketing-hype except for the most trivial of things .. namely, the things which involve no content that is proprietary, and especially, no action that is proprietary, and no data whose integrity to the client (or to your business) you must assure.

The "cloud computing" ideal is based on the premise that every raindrop is like every other one. The moment you start adding data integrity, atomic transactions, and confidentiality to the formerly idyllic mix, you start producing thunderstorms and hailstones. It still can be done, and done successfully, but most of the glamour is gone.

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Internet access is an entirely separate thing. And I think it is reasonable to assume that very soon you won't be able to just "go to any web site you please." Web sites are hosted by ISPs who, one way or the other, will soon be hounded out of business by, say, "copyright violations" until they no longer exist. (They can't survive in business if they are legally and punitively held responsible for content which they cannot directly control.)

So... your web site is now a page in a magazine, owned by one of a handful of publishing companies, controlled not by you but by an editor, who will be required to "approve your posting for copyright clearance" (and who will never manage to approve anything deleterious to the parent company, e.g. AOL, that owns the web-site).

"This strange Internet thing" is finally put back into the box. Instead of web-sites, we have newspapers and magazines again. Instead of music sharing, we have a jukebox. (Wanna play a song once? Twenty-five cents, please. Wanna buy a copy? Fine, but your copy can be instantly and remotely shut down or removed from your collection.)

The cloud is evil. Anyone who values their freedom and privacy should fight it to the death.

Hi,

Vicious circle! IT is wanting to control content as we did in the days of old or early on. Client/Server closed environment to control the content thus no exceptions to worry about. That new desktop took things away from most IT departments thus the IT management had no control/limited control or dictation of content usage/application.

In nature Clouds dissipate! In IT clouds become storms!

I don't know what is private nowaday. I also find quite funny people who have facebook account and complain about privacy freedom, data protection etc, come on, spy your private life is the facebook main concept...

No idea about the future of internet, but somewhat we as people have some responsability when we buy new tech gadgets

Hi,

I would not and never will have a social network account anywhere. Be it FaceBook or whatever. People are social mammals and herd oriented.

Of course, social media sites are a simple, yet efficient method to get people to spy on themselves and enjoy it.