• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

More Clouds Gathering for the Cloud?

S

SiempreTuna

Android Expert
For anyone considering a future with all their data in the cloud, should Google and Microsoft's outages today and last week maybe trigger a bit of a re-think ..?

Being an old codger, I struggle to believe in interweb reliability - I've too much experience of broadband and / or websites that are incapable of staying up as long as a hooker's undercrackers on a busy night. Consequently, I'm wary of putting anything I could need instant access to on-line.

Also, being as tight as duck's derrier, I don't like the idea of paying for all the data required to download everything from the web every time I need it, given how the mobile networks are desperately trying to move everyone toward a pay-as-you-go model for data.
 
First, those are some boss analogies. :D
I don't store a whole lot of data, period, so it's not a huge deal for me. But, I know for a lot of folks it's a HUGE deal breaker. If the next Nexus tops out at 16Gb like the current, I'll be a little wary about getting it. I'm fine with mine at 32Gb with no expandable. I also have 100Gb free on Drive because I got a Chromebook so that helps (and it's nice that I can use it among all my devices).
 
I heard about the Google Drive outage, but I haven't seen anything that affects me. I am using a Samsung Chromebook (heavily cloud dependent) daily and Droid Razr HD.. I haven't had any problems with cloud performance since I bought my Chromebook last month. Perhaps the Google Drive outage was localized and didn't affect all users? I'm wondering if a handful of people reported Google Drive problems and some media sites took the story and blew it out of proportion as they normally do.
 
I don't know about Microsoft, but I know that Google buys their storage from Amazon. Amazon AWS isn't down, so it must be something with Google's software.

I like the cloud as a cheap off-site backup service. I'm not going to get terribly used to products that are little more than conduits for more service fees though. When I buy a book I expect the text to still be there after the bookstore goes out of business. Why should I settle for anything less than that?
 
The privacy that Fedex are willing to fight for- keeping your purchasing records away from prying eyes. ;) Most privacy is gone, but they're at
 
Speed Daemon said:
God help us if the US' spooks get intertwined with Amazon! We can kiss our privacy bye-bye forever...
Click to expand...

I'm sure the US govt three letter agencies are already intertwined with US cloud storage services anyway, full access, etc. as do Hollywood, MPAA, RIAA, etc. to make sure you're not using cloud services to infringe copyright. Rather like the way the Chinese govt spooks have full access to all online stuff here.
 
SiempreTuna said:
For anyone considering a future with all their data in the cloud, should Google and Microsoft's outages today and last week maybe trigger a bit of a re-think ..?
Click to expand...

I use Dropbox For Teams. Lots of storage and should I lose access to the web, everything in my Dropbox up there in the wild blue yonder also exists on my hard drive.

And I'll say it again: just assume everything you store in the cloud will be posted and/or used by an unfriendly and decide what you can afford to be made public. Music files and wallpapers, fine. No problem. Banking data is a different thing altogether.

I assume I will be compromised and therefore, I made the decision to not store financial info or private stuff in my Dropbox or on my SkyDrive.

Fact is, there will be hacks and attacks. No system is secure no matter what you are told.
 
mikedt said:
Rather like the way the Chinese govt spooks have full access to all online stuff here.
Click to expand...

And to everything in the US, according to recent news reports :)

I have a pet theory that in about 10 years time India will be the most powerful country on earth. Not because of their military, because of their outsourcing IT bods: you mess with India, somebody in Mumbai's going to flick a switch and turn your entire country off :)
 
mikedt said:
I'm sure the US govt three letter agencies are already intertwined with US cloud storage services anyway, full access, etc. as do Hollywood, MPAA, RIAA, etc. to make sure you're not using cloud services to infringe copyright. Rather like the way the Chinese govt spooks have full access to all online stuff here.
Click to expand...
It's rather ironic that the American people have, for the last half-century at least, willingly allowed their phone calls to be monitored in the name of keeping hard core Communists at bay. :rolleyes:

The last time I checked, the people who are still in full control in your neck of the woods are still fully committed to the Communist ideology. The US' willingness to bet its entire financial and industrial future on a nation still committed to Communism is tantamount to French kissing Karl Marx, and nobody has said a word about that. :dontknow:

I get this feeling that the "Land of the Free and Home of the Brave" might not be either. :hmmmm2:

But I digress...

jack_nicholson.jpg


Let's talk about Danny...I mean, clouds.
 
SiempreTuna said:
And to everything in the US, according to recent news reports :)

I have a pet theory that in about 10 years time India will be the most powerful country on earth. Not because of their military, because of their outsourcing IT bods: you mess with India, somebody in Mumbai's going to flick a switch and turn your entire country off :)
Click to expand...

I know Microsoft outsources a lot of software coding to India, as do many other corporations. Could be Mumbai flicks a switch, and the whole world goes dark....oops!
 
mikedt said:
I know Microsoft outsources a lot of software coding to India, as do many other corporations. Could be Mumbai flicks a switch, and the whole world goes dark....oops!
Click to expand...
Comedian Steven Wright had a similar joke:

[SIZE=+1]In my house there's this light switch that doesn't do anything. Every so often I would flick it on and off just to check. Yesterday, I got a call from a woman in Germany. She said, "Cut it out." -- Steven Wright

[/SIZE]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom