Content Blog 6: Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing is a fairly new concept, and one that is rapidly growing.  Cloud Computing offers and alternative to having your own hardware to store information, and instead allows info to be sent to a 'cloud.'  A 'cloud' is actually machinery that is stored in warehouses around the world.  The information that you save on the internet [for example, like in Google Docs] is stored in these 'clouds,' and could be sent anywhere, to any server in any location.  What's good about this is that no matter what computer you log on to, you can access your account and information via the web; as long as you have internet connection, you can access your information.  Cloud Computing also offers alternatives for say, small businesses.  If businesses can't afford or don't want to pay for expensive processors to uphold their website etc, they can use Cloud Computing, and only pay for what they use.  The downside to Cloud Computing is that there's no backup system.  If the servers or any part connected to the servers goes down, all information could be lost, and there's no way to get it back.  When we save stuff on the internet, we don't really think about where it's going, and what we would do if we couldn't get it back.  That's why, for now, Cloud Computing could not replace having hard copies of files on personal hard drives.

I think Cloud Computing is something everyone should be aware of.  Especially when the internet is such a huge resource is our lives, it's important to know what's going on with your information, whether you're a psychology major or a business major.  Cloud Computing should not only be known for professional reasons, but for personal reasons too.  I'm sure that a majority of us use cloud computing via email, and we didn't even know!

Here is a video from www.youtube.com from user HighT3chDad on September 29, 2008.  It's a nice video summing up and answering the question, "What is Cloud Computing?"