Cloud computing: The next step in the internet evolution.

Why “next step” while cloud computing is already used by some of the biggest companies, like Google or Amazon, in the world? According to most of the people who made researches on that subject, there is still no exact definition for cloud computing. However, I will retain this one: “Clouds are a large pool of easily usable and accessible virtualized resources” [1].

Moreover, we must be agreed that cloud computing is still not a perfect solution. Of course, in theory, it is a revolution. But there are a lot of issues that make cloud computing extremely scalable but sensitive at this time.

First of all let’s know what are the main advantages provided by cloud computing. As we know, today’s companies are becoming bigger and bigger, and more and more have to manage their database with many distinct data centers. In that case, cloud computing is probably the most efficient way to overcome to this issue. Actually, cloud computing allows low prices, easy maintenance and space economy [2].

But there are a lot of obstacles that make cloud computing not perfect and sometimes dangerous. Particularly about what we call “public cloud computing”. As data is shared between users, it has a harmful effect on privacy, confidentiality and security because, in some ways, everything is accessible for everyone. Moreover as every user is connected to the same servers, there could have latency problems or software licenses issues due to the fact that those users should use the same one [3].

To conclude, I think cloud computing will inevitably rise during the next years because it seems obvious that it’s the best way to provides efficient solutions in many computing domains.

References:

[1] Vaquero, Rodero-Merino, Caceres, Lindner. A break in the clouds: Towards a cloud definition. 2008.

[2] Robert L. Grossman, University of Illinois at Chicago and Open Data Group. The case for cloud computing.2009.

[3] Armbrust, Fox, Griffith, Joseph, et al, Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences University of California at Berkeley. Above the clouds: a Berkeley view of cloud computing. 2009.

Delete: The virtue of forgetting in the Digital Age by Viktor Mayer-Schönberger

The digital memory is the storage of information on a digital support. It means that this information is stored forever and is easily accessible. According to Viktor Mayer-Schönberger (VMS), digital memory represents a real danger in our society. He is giving us the example of two persons that have been life affected because of the digital memory. Stacy who has been stroke off the faculty because of showing under eighteen girl drinking on her MySpace profile and Andrew who has been banned from the USA for taking drugs forty years ago. VMS is leaning on those two examples to explain that the digital memory is distorting the vision that people get on each other. The importance and the longevity of the digital memory storage make people able to know or remind information that a human being must has not be able to do a few years ago.

VMS is talking about six potential solutions to avoid an abusive use of the digital memory. Fortification of privacy rights, to forbid revelation of information without the agreement of the concerned person. Information ecology, which means, prevents the storage of some kind of data. Digital abstinence, people stop using internet by themselves, to avoid personal information storage. Change our way to make decisions (Cognitive adjustment) and finally, introduce a worldwide digital rights management to control everything in a right way.

According to me, the best way to avoid this problem should be warning people to make them aware of the danger. But it’s not enough to achieve one’s aims because, even if there are preventive actions on TV or on the internet, one person can involve many others and so even if someone is totally aware of the way to use internet, he could be caught up by the digital memory. As VMS concluded, the key is maybe to mix the different solutions.