Mailbag: Cloud-y Thoughts
Windows Azure made big waves when Microsoft
officially
unveiled it in PDC this week. But a few of you have some misgivings about
the OS in the cloud:
I'd like a few more details, such as what you have to agree to in order
to use this. Since Microsoft owns the computers and the equipment in which
the data and created applications will reside, who controls this now and in
the future? How would you go about getting your "property" should
something change in the future? How much will this cost now and in the future?
What is to prevent the Big M from taking what you create as its own?
Security worries me any time you do not control the equipment in which
the applications and data resides. The idea of being able to access this from
any location sounds great -- but so could someone else. Hackers would have
a field day with this. I could be totally wrong about Azure, but I won't be
taking that chance. There is too much to lose, in my opinion.
-Les
I agree with your statement: "I like to have ownership
of the files I create, and don't want somebody controlling my access. And
I would never want them taken away."
Also, you city dwellers don't realize this, but there are still vast
areas of this country with NO Internet access (unless you count dial-up, which,
with today's large data transfer requirements, is quite useless). A major
problem with cloud computing is that you must have Internet to use it. Even
in the city, I've found Comcast to be somewhat unreliable. No Internet, no
application. Very frustrating.
-Mike
Check in with us next week for more reader letters! In the meantime, share
your own thoughts by leaving a comment below or sending an e-mail to [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on October 30, 2008