EdgeWord: A Note from the Publisher
“The Case Against Cloud Computing”
by Jack Dunning

With all of the offerings of free software and Web services, computing gets nothing but more complicated. It's much easier for users to stick with the tried and true, rather than venture out into the unknown problems of using cyberspace applications. This resistance to change is one reason why many of the predictions about Web applications and "cloud" computing are unlikely to come to fruition. Yet there are fundamental reasons why the investments by Microsoft, Google and others in Internet computing may not pay off.

The primary issue is one of control. A profound impact of the computer has been the movement of power to the individual. One person with a computer and the right peripherals can compete with large institutions in speed and quality of work. This creates a sense of autonomy previously unknown to the average person. Computer users closely guard their freedom and privacy.

The Internet increased the individual's sense of autonomy. Many activities, including communications, gathering of information and controlling finances, were previously executed or filtered through larger organizations forcing people to deal with the bureaucracies. Now the free flow of e-mail, Web searches and Internet accounts for personal business has empowered people to take better control of their lives. However, there is a cost.

The more information we save on the Internet, the greater our concerns about security. Is our information really safe when we store it with third parties? Maybe we trust the people who run our Web services today, but will they be bought out by even larger companies tomorrow? What happens when our free Web applications turn into the next Big Brother? Will we be trapped when they start charging for the service? And they will charge eventually. Do we really want to give up that much control?

While there has been a stampede by many to the cloud, it is likely to slow in the future. There are too many potential (and real) problems. Large companies have encountered security breaches with Google Apps because an employee carelessly let a password out. When our Internet connection is down, will that mean our business is down? Most people do not want to give up that much control.

There has been a huge number of online backup service companies springing up over the last decade, but their number-one rival may not be another online backup service. The hard drive has become so inexpensive that there is no reason to spend even a few dollars a month to do regular Internet backup. You don't need to trust it to someone else. If you want off-site backup, you can do it over the Internet with your buddy's computer or your home network drive.

Other than sharing files, I see no reason to use Google Apps. The OpenOffice.org suite of business applications is free and will install on all of my computers. Do I need to access the files from another location? I can set up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) allowing me access over the Internet to all of my computers from anywhere in the world.

I see cloud computing and the huge applications being broken down by individual computing needs. Wouldn't you prefer to have your own little Internet cloud, which serves all of your needs, without depending upon the big guys? The next movement in computing and the Internet will be Virtual Offices, Virtual private networks and Internet-accessible network drives all run counter to control by the big guys. People want for themselves the control that will be afforded by operating their own resources. I'm not betting on either Windows Live or Google Apps in the long run.

Comments and Letters about EdgeWord: A Note from the Publisher
“The Case Against Cloud Computing”
by Jack Dunning

The Cloud

[Regarding the February 5 EdgeWord: A Note from the Publisher column:]

I agree with the entire article except for the end "People want for themselves the control that will be afforded by operating their own resources. I'm not betting on either Windows Live or Google Apps in the long run."

I would change "People" to "You and I" or "Not enough people". Either way, it changes the conclusion. I learned a long time ago that "people" do not want the effort and responsibility that goes with "having control". Think of what has happened to voicemail. It once was a machine. You could archive a lifetime's worth of messages simply by installing a new 2 hr. cassette as needed. Now it's a service that costs money every month, doesn't archive anything, and always limits the message length w/o giving the "service payor" any control. Fax is experiencing the same fate; just try to get faxes sent to your own phone number forwarded to an e-mail address. It would wind up costing way more than a fax machine over time due to the "service" costs yet hardware to do this is unavailable or super expensive since there is no "market" for it.

—Ron Cerrato, San Diego

Hat Hanging

[Regarding the February 5 EdgeWord: A Note from the Publisher column:]

I'll hang my hat with Jack Dunning. I suspect that individuals will opt for personal privacy and control in the long run, but will accept "external" cloud computing at work on behalf of their employers. But isn't it time we gave up the keyboard?

—Cicero, Colorado Springs, CO