Dec 16 2008

Cloud Computing: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

This is the second post in my series on Cloud Computing. Click here for the introduction and index.

Updated 12/17/08 with a ‘Good’ item I forgot– Sharing Data.

OK now that I bored you theory in my last post, I’ll finally give you something mildly worthwhile.

The Good

  • You can use less than state of the art hardware since all you are running is a web browser.
  • There are lot of free apps.
  • You don’t have to update your programs.
  • You can work anywhere you have an Internet connection, on any computer.
  • You data is backed up on the provider’s server so you don’t have to worry about hardware crashes.
  • You can share data easily with others

The Bad

  • No Internet, no work.
  • Many Internet based applications  don’t have all of the features of comparable pc based applications.
  • You have to remember lots of logins and passwords

The Ugly

  • If your application provider goes out of business your data goes with them.
  • Bad guys don’t need access to your computer to try to access your data.
  • If someone gets your password, they have your data (at least for that application, if you don’t use the same password everywhere!!)
OK, That was short and sweet,  so how about another verse…
Nothing is perfect, so take the good with the bad
If you look for perfection, you will always be sad
If you’re realistic ’bout the things that you see
You will have a better chance a life with some glee
Check back soon for my next installment.
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Filed in Cloud Computing, Internet, Web | Jeff Spiller

  • By Jean Murray, January 4, 2009 @ 9:29 pm

    I like the “cloud computing” concept, but it always makes me nervous to be putting things up “in the clouds” and not being able to get to them if the Internet goes down (which it does occasionally here at my home business).
    For example, I work with a non-profit organization and we have all our documents on Online File Folder (from GoDaddy). God forbid we don’t pay our monthly bill, or that we have problems with passwords or access.

    Also, if the IRS wanted to audit us, we would have to print out everything. I don’t think they want to go searching around on the Internet for our stuff.

  • By admin, January 5, 2009 @ 2:19 pm

    Jean, thats a very real concern. If you have unreliable service it may not be a good idea. Even if you have reliable service (I had about 2 hrs of downtime in the last year) if you need to have a backup plan (like a cell phone internet card),
    As far as records. I strongly believe that you should save to a local drive anything that you need to have for records on a regular basis. You can never have enough backups :-)

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