Re: Another reason I don't like the 'cloud' idea

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Gordon Peterson <gep2 () terabites com>
Date: April 16, 2009 2:03:19 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] Another reason I don't like the 'cloud' idea

This isn't just a problem with Kindle, but also with Google Docs and  
web services of all kinds.  Not only do you have a potentially big  
liability if your enabling account goes away, but also if your  
Internet connection goes down.  If you're dependent on your Internet  
connection to perform even the most basic business tasks (word  
processing, spreadsheets, etc) then when your Internet connection goes  
down, you are OUT OF BUSINESS and you've got ALL your employees  
basically just sitting on their hands.  There are a LOT of advantages  
to being able to work at least semi-independently, using little more  
than the ONE computer sitting on the desk in front of you.

And even if you're dependent on an inhouse server, at least THERE  
*you* can fix it without having to depend upon a company that is much  
less motivated than YOU are to get your company working again right  
away... and you don't have to argue with a group of glorified  
telephone answering service staff off in India first.

Dependency on multiple web services for basic business functions  
(order entry, credit card clearing, etc etc) is even worse, since the  
more machines and links that have to be running simultaneously in  
order to complete transactions quickly dramatically reduces your  
availability percentages.

David Farber wrote:
> Begin forwarded message:
> From: Richard Forno <rforno () infowarrior org>
> Date: April 16, 2009 10:01:59 AM EDT
> To: Infowarrior List <infowarrior () attrition org>
> Cc: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
> Subject: Another reason I don't like the 'cloud' idea
> Stuff like this makes me glad I'm an old-fashioned person who likes  
> physical books (geek that I am).  If the bookstore closes down,  
> cancels my charge account, or whatever, I still have the books and  
> the knowledge within.  They don't come raid my library and deny my  
> use of the books.   Call me old fashioned, but I like positive  
> control over my stuff.  --rf
> If you lose your Amazon account, your Kindle loses functionality
> Posted by Cory Doctorow, April 15, 2009 10:36 PM | permalink
> http://www.boingboing.net/2009/04/15/if-you-lose-your-ama.html
> Ian bought a Kindle and some Kindle ebooks from Amazon. He also  
> bought some real-world stuff from them, some of which he returned.  
> Amazon decided that he'd returned too many things, so they suspended  
> his Amazon account, which meant that he could no longer buy any  
> Kindle books, and any Kindle subscriptions he's paid for stop working.
> After some phone calls, Amazon granted him a one-time exception and  
> lit his account up again.
> Leaving aside losing your subscriptions, this would not be such a  
> big deal if the Kindle had graceful ways of putting competitors'  
> ebooks on your device. What's your experience getting non-Kindle  
> books onto the Kindle?

--

Gordon Peterson II
http://personal.terabites.com
1977-2007:  Thirty year anniversary of local area networking




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