Losing your head in the clouds
By Charles Miller

I recently had a spirited discussion with a good friend who is the biggest advocate I know for “cloud computing.”

Readers should not be embarrassed if they are unfamiliar with the term. Its etymology is unknown, but it probably originated with one of the many charts or diagrams of computer networks on which the internet was represented as a little white cloud. The fluffy white cloud brings to mind a peaceful, idyllic space. As a marketing buzzword it was well conceived.

This somewhat vague definition refers to computer applications for which all necessary elements of the program are stored remotely online, not on the local PC. Specifically, what I am referring to in this case are not the usual web pages everyone uses on the internet, but rather those replacements for software programs such as email, database and bookkeeping that have traditionally been installed on the user’s local computer. The correct term is Software as a Service (SaaS).

Cloud computing is becoming popular, primarily as a money-saving technique for big business customers because using SaaS often avoids the need for expensive investment sin hardware, software and support staff.

As a home user, if you use one of the online email providers such as Hotmail, gmail or Yahoo, you are already using cloud computing. Your email and the software to access it are not on your computer, but out there in the “cloud.” The same goes for the many services that let you upload your digital photos to a server on the web from which you can share them with friends.

For many users this has a lot of advantages, not the least of which is that the careless user who never backs up data does not need to worry about doing so. Their email and pictures are backed up for them.

Symantec has released a few details of how their coming versions of anti-virus software will take advantage of SaaS. This will improve the present upgrade technique.

The proponents of cloud computing paint a picture that has no downside, but clouds can also come in the menacing thunderstorm variety. Probably the darkest storm cloud concerns data security.

Another friend commented to me how coincidental it was that when she emailed her doctor details of a delicate medical condition that the next pop-up ad she received was for hemorrhoid medication. Wake up! Some providers think it is okay to data-mine your private emails in order to fine-tune the advertising to which they expose you, and that is only one of the ways in which your privacy is invaded.

That should be enough to make you stop and think before you blithely sign up and put your checkbook and all your other financial information into one of the online services. It is difficult enough to protect data on your computer that does not leave your computer or your control, but in the cloud you relinquish all control. Off-site data storage means there are a lot of questions important to your data you cannot answer. You may not be able to tell where your data is, or even which country it is in. For some business users that is important because different laws apply to different jurisdictions.

Cloud computing is a set of powerful new technology solutions, ones that many people consider to be the wave of the future. These provide convenience to the consumer and cost savings for business, but check your parachute before jumping out into the clouds.

Charles Miller is a freelance computer consultant, a frequent visitor to San Miguel since 1981 and now practically a full-time resident. He may be contacted at 044-415-101-8528 or email FAQ8 (at) SMAguru.com.