Talk:Cloud computing

Clarity / Grammar

I find this sentence (in the History Section)confusing:

As VMs can be spawned on any given computer as conditions demand, they are location in-specific as well, much like a cloud network. Could you clarify location in-specific? LisaFrancis (talk) 03:58, 15 August 2009 (UTC)

I wonder if "location agnostic" would be better (while remaining accurate to the original intent)? --Bkengland (talk) 19:31, 15 August 2009 (UTC)

Why not keep it simple and just delete the phase which seems a bit of a repeat: As VMs can be spawned on any given computer as conditions demand, they are much like a cloud network. LisaFrancis (talk) 08:55, 16 August 2009 (UTC)

Or remove the entire sentence, with descriptions covered in the VM article, which we should be cross referencing anyway. I'll go ahead and make this change, and I guess we'll see how this washes subsequently. Sound good? --Bkengland (talk) 21:20, 16 August 2009 (UTC)

sorry, I was travelling, yes, I agree and that is better LisaFrancis (talk) 04:04, 2 September 2009 (UTC)

Please define "SaaS" (Software-as-a-Service) at the first (of six) places this term appears in the article. Perhaps provide link to Wikipedia page about SaaS Senor Mouse (talk) 14:23, 13 October 2009 (UTC)

Nonsense

The article is written as if by a specialist for a specialist. Hence, it's not useful. Worse, it's useless. 842U (talk) 00:03, 29 September 2009 (UTC)

Welcome back from your block 842U. Are we going to be constructive this time round or are we just trolling again? -- samj _in^out 12:14, 9 October 2009 (UTC)

I have to agree with 842U, this article doesn't use much real computing terminology to define the actual mechanisms of cloud computing. It's very difficult to decide the relationship between cloud computing and other client/server paradigms with this article the way it is. It uses a lot of poorly-defined jargon to try defining cloud computing and spends more space than is useful on the effects of cloud computing, which makes it seem like it's appealing to businesses. If anything, this article makes cloud computing sound like it should be added to List of corporate jargon. Essentially: needs more science. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Willhig (talk • contribs) 04:13, 27 October 2009 (UTC)

Thank you. 842U (talk) 21:00, 27 October 2009 (UTC)

United States budget and cloud computing

This stuff (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/memoranda_fy2009/m09-20.pdf) from Peter Orszag explicitly states as guidance to federal agencies that: "Information Technology. Your submission should support the President’s priorities for information technology, including transparency, participation and collaboration, and improving innovation, efficiency and effectiveness, in areas like cloud computing, by building upon efforts undertaken in 2009 and planned for 2010. Your IT portfolio should reflect updated cost estimates for all IT investments and balance new and ongoing investments within the context of your overall budget."

While generally I would classify cloud computing as a fad (or else, as BS), there's a healthy dose of business rationale behind it: we'll be forced to pay huge rents to software companies, who will have control over pricing. Apart from a small note mentioning Stallman's words there are no significant sections on disadvantages. And before anyone says to me to be bold, must say that cannot edit the article altogether (is it transcluded or whatever?) 212.188.108.54 (talk) 16:01, 11 October 2009 (UTC)

Refer to:

We need to present a balanced view but keep it neutral. Criticism sections tend not to be neutral, hence "key characteristics" (which can be positive, negative or both). -- samj _in^out 14:20, 25 October 2009 (UTC)

Types: North Korean Cloud - ?

Someone's political attempt at humor? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.234.123.121 (talk) 20:17, 16 October 2009 (UTC)

lol. looks like it's been removed already. -- samj _in^out 14:21, 25 October 2009 (UTC)

Huh???

The first two sentences of this article include the words or phrases "provision" "dynamically scalable" "virtualised resources" "utility basis" "conceptual" "paradigm shift" and "abstracted". I am a very smart person. I want to know what Cloud Computing is. I have no freaking idea at all what any of this means. Please help make this article accessable - I would do it myself, but I still have no freaking clue what Cloud Computing is--CastAStone/^{/₵₳$↑₳₴₮ʘ№€} 22:56, 28 October 2009 (UTC)

Thank You. I couldn't agree more. 842U (talk) 19:12, 29 October 2009 (UTC)

Ironically I agree with you both... to the unwashed masses "cloud" simply means "out there on the Internet" (consider the Sidekick debacle which was nothing like a "real" cloud architecture and yet which was widely reported as "cloud"). Furthermore cloud need not be scalable, virtualised (services like Amazon EC2 are in the minority compared to e.g. Google, Yahoo!, etc.), utility billed (most of it's free!) or any of the other things it's often associated with. If we look at the history of the cloud itself, it was introduced by telcos in network diagrams to denote "stuff you don't have to care about" (where previously users had to deal with every single link and node). -- samj _in^out 21:16, 29 October 2009 (UTC)

Good Article/Featured Article Status

I'd rather like to see if we can tidy up this article and get it to Good Article or even Featured Article status. It's been repeatedly tagged recently as {{tech jargon}} despite my efforts to make it more approachable for your average Wikipedia user. Furthermore efforts to "ring-fence" the term have failed and as evidenced by the Sidekick debacle, for the overwhelming majority of Wikipedia readers "cloud" simply means "out there on the Internet". As a result we're getting back to basics and leaving the more complex details to the experts. Anyway, please let me know if you're interested in helping out either here or by email. Cheers. -- samj _in^out 16:19, 2 November 2009 (UTC)

Sounds like a great idea! 842U (talk) 19:12, 2 November 2009 (UTC)

Cool. You're welcome to help out if you like. There was a great article in the Economist last week that gives a good layman's overview of cloud computing: Clash of the clouds... probably as good a starting point as ever and we'll struggle to find a more reliable source. -- samj _in^out 10:38, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

I was able to read that entire article and not get lost, and not have anything in the article contradict my layman's understanding of cloud computing. And clearly, if the Economist article is true, then more and more people will arrive at the Wikpedia article looking for an understanding of 'the cloud.' It may be that this article just needs some crucial introductory information before it 'descends' into the minutiae of how and what 'cloud computing' consists of. Hopefully this is constructive feedback.842U (talk) 22:56, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Is there a way to say this in a more straightforward way: Technically it typically involves the provision of dynamically scalable and often virtualised resources as a service over the Internet. ?? 842U (talk) 21:06, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Over-centralisation is evil

Here, the power lies again in the hands of few... People are stupid enough to choose to be too lazy to cognatively grasp the tools that they use. In the end it is not just understanding but free will that we will lose. 155.42.123.70 (talk) 15:47, 4 November 2009 (UTC)