"The intriguing cloud computing meme hides the largest hoax of IT from the times of speculative bubble of the last Nineties, a phenomenon that pretends to bring the technology clock back of many decades (if the net does it all then the PC upgrade rush has no meaning at all…) and that is destined to disappoint all the promises of reliability, speed, simplicity and security done up to now".
Regola numero uno: mai fidarsi del cloud computing (in Italian)
Rule number one: never trust the cloud computing (in English)
I don't hate cloud computing, it simply doesn't work, and will never work. It's not the future, it's the past. Please discuss.

It's not the desireable future, but i think it is something many people still wish to come true, as far as some end users, it's probably perfect for them. But personally, I would prefer for it to not happen, but I do see it coming to fruition.

like Web 2.0, Y2K and anything beginning with a lower case i?
Cloud computing goes against practically everything I've been trained for as a network administrator, kinda hard to grasp why people would want their critical data floating around with the vague promise of encryption to keep it safe.

Also, how much can it truly offer?
You'll still need a computer to connect to the interweb, you'll still need graphics and sound capabilites, you'll still need processing capability and memory, you'll also need a local HDD to put all the access and operating software on, just to connect to the "cloud".
What was the benefit again?

It's a cloud, it's magic! Interconnectivity, harmony, SYNERGY!
About the only thing I can think of as a use is connecting off-site facilities but thats what VPNs are for

Cloud computing will be Web 3.0, or at least Web 2.5, Build 2563 RC1 (ha ha). Ever realize why almost all the Web 2.0 properties that utilize the cloud says beta? Because the future of the web is Semantic Web, and that's where cloud computing can help. It's the future, whether we like it or not.

There's no single CLOUD, no basic formula that truly describes all the scenarios where cloud computing could be used, and this is why article like those are frankly, a lot of bullshit.
The fact that Google developed services that are hosted "in the cloud" deliver a lot of information to Google has little to do with how cloud computing works, it just tells you how Google works. An offline application provided by Google could (and actually does) aggregate the same amounts of data and just deliver them to Google whenever a connection is available. In fact most Google offline apps already do that.
There are dozens of scenarios ranging from simple storage (which makes a lot of sense to spread across different computers: for example a clever cloud hosting would move files within the cloud to servers which are close to the majority of users) for websites to replacing normal applications (which is sometimes a good idea, usually when the enduser can not be trusted to keep his system and applications in a working state by himself) and high performance applications that require a lot of performance at times, but not constantly (which can be a lot cheaper because resources can be shared), all of which are sometimes referred to as cloud computing. All of which work differently with the cloud.
What about security and trust? Well, that's something that can't be answered easily either as there is no single way that all cloud systems work: Some are managed entirely by the provider and therefore grant him (and anyone who breaks into his system) total access, like GMail. Others leave the encryption to you with only you having the keys while again, others let you manage all aspects of how your data is stored or accessed.
Articles like that are just a gross oversimplification and do little more than creating FUD. There are problems, but these articles don't educate anybody on how to solve them.

wow. that article was horrible to read. guy sounded like some prick trying to start a flame war on anime forum.
i kinda need more info what cloud is (since the author wasn't kind enough to explain it and i don't feel like reading between the lines) before i judge it.
What google is offering is a service. you can use it or not. you will have a choice. so what is wrong with it?

As long as it stays an optional choice, there is nothing at all "wrong" with it, provided the person choosing to use it fully understands what they are getting themselves into. The problem is many major software companies are looking at the mythical "cloud" as the future of computing, to the point where some want to eliminate the standalone OS and and have everything delivered via the "cloud" to an internet connected appliance (like a dumb terminal), effectively eliminating what we traditionally know as the PC. IF it gets to that point, then there really is something wrong with it... potentially many things wrong with it, starting with security and major privacy concerns.

The advantage of cloud computing is that you can access it anywhere, link it all together, work on it together, and you don't need a powerful PC or lots of expensive software.
I think its been overblown, but i think in many areas it'll be the future. (even if it is going back towards workstations).
It means i can sit in a coffee shop or on a plane with a $200 netbook or iphone and access all my data, colaborate, etc.. (or play flash games and post my status ;-) )
It means I can backup all my data online, and if my PC gets stolen or dies, or if i just want to sync it with another workstation, its no problem.
Buzzword terms are always annoying, but it doesn't mean there aren't some good ideas behind them.
Besides, if we don't support cloud computing how will we create skynet?

I don't know, I never really liked "triple-play" as a buzzword.

We have already created it...
[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skynet_(satellites)]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skynet_(satellites)[/url]

That's actually the OP's website.
I actually like John Dvorak too.

Uh uh, things are starting to become funny :-D
http://tinyurl.com/bcpj4l
And that's only the tip of the iceberg. Soon on these screens: the "cloud computing" bubble a-splodes....