Cloud Computing Your Thoughts!

[Michael]

I would say technically cloud computing is greener as based on the fact that instead of having 10 servers in 10 offices to store the data your have one server to store 10 companies data etc so it reduces the overall amount of hardware in circulation.

 

Although I agree with your theory I think in practice it may not work out that way. There's only so much a single server can handle/process, so reducing from 10 servers to 1 (although an example) may be a little too optimistic. However if you had 10 x Pentium II servers and you replaced them with the latest Intel Xeon then you may have a point

 

You could also debate that with many users accessing data over slow ADSL internet connections (compared to Ethernet), this would inevitably use up more server resources and take much longer; especially when uploading files. Of course this problem doesn't exist within a corporate network.

 

Ultimately (you could probably create a formula), but I believe the uptake of Cloud Computing will depend on the growth of internet connectivity. At the rate the UK is going, it's probably going to be at least another 10 years until the telecom companies have put fibre in every street.

[KK20]

We couldnt afford the bandwidth. Plain and simple. My budget barely stretches to a 2mb SDSL never mind the xxmb required for a full school offloading a lot of work.

[gshaw]

I have a deep distrust of the whole cloud idea... seems like a great way for large companies to get you to shift your infrastructure out on the promise of it being cheap, more secure etc then once you're in (think "the big juicy worm rate" off those TV ads) you find out actually the grass isn't that much greener but it would cost so much to go back that you get stuck.

 

Also on a paranoid level it makes it much easier for the powers that be to get access to your data... they can't legally hack into your PC to have a nosey at your documents but as we've seen with ISPs and Internet records it seems very easy for Governments to get powers to search through online data.

 

Using the cloud for your own convenince... maybe i.e. Google can store my thousands of crap emails and Photobucket can host some pics I want sharing but putting my servers, apps and infrastructure up there... thanks but no thanks!

 

It is however worth embracing the web app idea with you in control of it as we're doing with VLEs etc, however I hope MS control the desktop and OS for a long time yet and Google fail miserably with their attempt and go back to doing Search engines

 

Although I agree with your theory I think in practice it may not work out that way. There's only so much a single server can handle/process, so reducing from 10 servers to 1 (although an example) may be a little too optimistic. However if you had 10 x Pentium II servers and you replaced them with the latest Intel Xeon then you may have a point

 

You could also debate that with many users accessing data over slow ADSL internet connections (compared to Ethernet), this would inevitably use up more server resources and take much longer; especially when uploading files. Of course this problem doesn't exist within a corporate network.

 

Ultimately (you could probably create a formula), but I believe the uptake of Cloud Computing will depend on the growth of internet connectivity. At the rate the UK is going, it's probably going to be at least another 10 years until the telecom companies have put fibre in every street.

 

Could be a lot longer than that seeing as BT have just invested loadsa monies in copper based connections that are barely gonna boost the speeds to 20Mb from what I read?

Edited September 2, 2009 by gshaw

[jamesb]

I have a deep distrust of the whole cloud idea... seems like a great way for large companies to get you to shift your infrastructure out on the promise of it being cheap, mroe secure etc then once you're in (think "the big kuicy worm rate" off those TV ads) you find out actually the grass isn't that much greener but it would cost so much to go back that you get stuck.

 

Nonsense! Outsourcing call centres went so well, why wouldn't you want to outsource your vital infrastructure too?

[russdev]

As said key here is white label solutions so you run your own in cloud servers with access to internet but run with security of your own infrastructure.

 

Russ

[Michael]

Could be a lot longer than that seeing as BT have just invested loadsa monies in copper based connections that are barely gonna boost the speeds to 20Mb from what I read?

 

To cut a long story short, I believe BT's rolling out fibre to every street, so you're still running copper to your house, but at very short distances. Probably no more than 50-100 metres and this should deliver around 40Mb/s. Only newer housing estates and probably highly populated areas like London will get fibre to the home directly.

[dhicks]

Cory Doctorow's take on cloud computing, via The Guardian:

 

Not every cloud has a silver lining: Cory Doctorow | Technology | The Guardian

 

And the discussion on Boing Boing:

 

Cloud computing skepticism - Boing Boing

 

--

David Hicks

[gshaw]

Yup I agree with it, best line was the one about the control over the people using the Cloud being the reason for its existence... very true and in the future quite dangerous imo.

 

Just think if everyone goes and dumps their powerful PC kit for eeeBoxes and Google clouds...

 

- less people want powerful CPUs, production goes down

- price of the type of kit we're used to paying comparitively peanuts starts to go up

- over time powerful hardware goes back to becoming an expensive luxury for the techies

- the only way to then do the type of tasks we're used to being able to run with ease now comes from the Cloud where all the power is concentrated

- you pay for services you'd have run yourself for free a few years ago

 

Not to mention the fact the IT Support jobs sector will collapse apart from the chosen ones behind the scenes of the big companies, TV repair man anyone?

 

Be careful out there people

[jamesb]

- less people want powerful CPUs, production goes down

- price of the type of kit we're used to paying comparitively peanuts starts to go up

- over time powerful hardware goes back to becoming an expensive luxury for the techies

- the only way to then do the type of tasks we're used to being able to run with ease now comes from the Cloud where all the power is concentrated

- you pay for services you'd have run yourself for free a few years ago

 

- the cloud dumbs down services to appeal to more people, its users beging to regress, forgetting literacy

- the few techies perfect task automation and begin to rely on their machines

- the cloud users eventually devolve into Morlocks, while the techies become Eloi.

[gshaw]

its users beging to regress, forgetting literacy

 

I think we're already at that point already