The following is a sample Web Issue Report created by Stacy Taylor in the Fall of 2009
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Cloud computing is a relatively new phenomenon that allows users to store and use data online – in the cloud – rather than on their own hardware. There are hundreds and hundreds of web applications that can replace the vast majority of software installed on individual machines. Cloud computing creates a more centralized system of data storage and retrieval, which allows the same operations to be performed on less powerful – but more portable – devices than ever before. As always, there are certain risks to putting any personal information online, and consideration must be given to the privacy, security, and accessibility of data in cloud computing.
Source: www.boston.com
Cloud Computing Applications
With cloud computing, users are now able to perform nearly all of their regular tasks online. Word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations can be done online using Google Docs, Buzzword, Zoho, or OpenGoo. Webmail has become ubiquitous, and Meebo lets you IM all your contacts from nearly every IM client through one web page. Del.icio.us is just one of many online bookmark managers. Yahoo, Google, and many others provide online interactive calendars and to-do lists. Pandora and Last.fm provide personalized streaming music. Photo sharing sites like Flickr, Picasa Web Albums, and Photobucket let you store your digital pictures rather than on your hard drive, and you can share them with friends, or keep them private if you prefer. Image editing can be done through Picnik, Aviary Phoenix, or Adobe Photoshop Express. They may not be quite as powerful as Photoshop, but they’re more than sufficient for the average user.
Source: http://aviary.com/tools/phoenix
Video can be recorded from a webcam straight to YouTube, or can be edited with JayCut, or GorillaSpot. There are also a myriad of online productivity tools, and specialized web applications for everything from monitoring ovulation cycles to tracking your sleeping habits. There is, of course, the much-anticipated online collaboration tool, Google Wave. There are also web desktops (or webtops) that simulate an operating system from within a browser. A few examples are eyeOS and Cloudo.
eyeOS
Cloudo
Potential Uses
While the sheer number of web applications, productivity suites, and even simulated operating systems accessible from a standard web browser can be overwhelming, it also opens up tremendous opportunities. For many years consumers have been demanding better, and faster computers with more storage and faster processing speed. But as Clive Thompson pointed out in an article in Wired magazine: “Our most common tasks—email, Web surfing, watching streamed videos—require very little processing power. Only a few people, like graphic designers and hardcore gamers, actually need heavy-duty hardware.” A shift to cloud computing means that people can do just about everything they need to from their browser, and can use a much less powerful computer to do so. If most of your data is stored online, there’s no need for a huge hard drive; and if all your applications can be accessed through your web browser, do you really need the latest and greatest processor? We’ve already witnessed a shift from bulky desktop computers to laptops, and now we’re beginning to see the proliferation of netbooks and smart phones. I believe that within the next few years most data storage and computing power is going take place on large servers, while personal computers are going to become less powerful but much more portable.
Netbook
Risks
Obviously there are always inherent risks when putting any personal data online. For one thing, your privacy is limited only to the terms of the application you are using. Some applications, such as Facebook, will continue to store your information, status updates, and photos even after you have deleted them from your profile. Also, it is much easier for law enforcement officials to obtain your data from a third party’s server than from your personal computer. Another concern is security. While most cloud computing applications have pretty decent security, the threat is still there, and users would be wise to use strong passwords, and never put any potentially damaging information online. Another, less obvious, concern is accessibility. Many cloud computing applications have restrictions on users retrieving their own data. Flickr only lets users see the last 200 photos they uploaded, unless they pay for the pro account, and Twitter only allows users to export 3200 updates. Projects such as Google’s Data Liberation Front are trying to change this, but the fact remains that when using cloud computer users are dependent on a third party’s policies for retrieving their data. Even if a web application doesn’t restrict users from removing or retrieving their information, servers can crash or become unavailable, making it impossible to get access to your data when you need it.
Data Liberation Front
Despite the risks, cloud computing continues to be a powerful force. The overwhelming number of applications – with more cropping up daily – almost guarantees that whatever you need to do, you can do online.
Sources:
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-great-alternatives-to-google-docs-you-should-consider/
http://lifehacker.com/5307419/five-best-online-image-editors
http://speckyboy.com/2008/06/22/132/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_desktop
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing
http://www.wired.com/gadgets/wireless/magazine/17-03/mf_netbooks
http://lifehacker.com/5325169/the-hidden-risks-of-cloud-computing