What are you using 'The Cloud' for ?

Beginner's Guide to the Cloud

Here is a link that might be useful: Wikipedia Cloud computing

This post was edited by mikie on Fri, Apr 18, 14 at 22:26

The only time that I know of that my data went to a cloud was when I downloaded some MP3 files from Amazon. At that time I was very uncomfortable about what exactly a cloud was and I didn't go any further. Now I have some understanding that the cloud is a giant storage unit for people so they don't have to keep everything on their hard drives. I am afraid that the cloud might crash and I wouldn't be able to access my files.

mudlady-
Cloud storage is probably safer than anything you can come up with on your own. It's not a giant hard drive sitting in one place waiting to crash. Any major cloud storage service will have backups, so, even if the primary servers that store your data got wiped out by, say, a tsunami, there would be data backups located elsewhere that would keep your data safe. Maybe if we had a worldwide nuclear war there could be a problem, but at that point you wouldn't be worried if your pictures of Fluffy the cat were safe.

Microsoft has Word, Excel, Power Point, email, etc ... Google has their versions of same stuff basically.

So its some programs we don't actually need installed on our computers too.

The MS OneDrive(Skydrive) for storage of our personal stuff means we don't really need it on our hard drives and its available to us from our cell phones and any other computer. Kind of neat when your computer crashes .. you don't lose all your stuff.. and it automatically shows up or comes back kind of like like a lingering ghost on your new computer :)

Bad part is personal stuff in the cloud... everybody still worries about some family membrrrrrr or friend or hacker, or the government or some attorney getting access to our cloud possessions for evil reasons.

No critical, financial, or personal data should be stored in the cloud.

DA

I don't think most people have critical, financial or personal data that they need to worry about keeping secret to avoid a particular risk or problem. What do you have in mind?

Politicians from the the president on down have been making tax returns and assets/liability details available to the public for decades, I don't think any harm has come from it.

It's about security, and the common term is "redacted offering".

Once again I don't have the time or desire to continue.

DA

This post was edited by damccoy on Sun, Apr 20, 14 at 7:49

I'm not sure how common the term "redacted offering" is. I've never heard of it (which by itself means nothing) but Google hasn't either.

You seem to like making dismissive comments when asked for further explanation for comments you make. Internet forums are a poor place to go if you expect people to accept your comments simply on your say-so. Offer a view and then offer a reason, otherwise, no one learns from your perspective and it's really not a much of a discussion.

I have a memory of a post by someone who lost all their precious pictures that were stored on 'the cloud'. The company went out of business with no warning. I remember thinking how nuts they were not to have a backup.

Snidely,

I posted something in response, but have since removed it. Hopefully before any members read it. It was beneath me.

I can only suggest to you not to read my posts.

Totally done.

DA

This post was edited by damccoy on Mon, Apr 21, 14 at 12:23

Damccoy, I hope you don't mean that you are leaving this forum. I and many others have relied on your information for years. It would be quite a loss to us less knowledgeable folks.

Ginny,

Thank you for the kind words.

I just looked at your member page. Yes, twelve years with you has been a long time. Plus, I even have five more years before you graciously joined us. ( For those checking my member page, it shows 2001, but it was actually 1997. A core of us members had our date reset following a forum system crash in the early 2000s.)

Rest assured I am still going to be here. It's this thread I am done with, and any future ones which take a negative direction. In this case, I lost my temper and published words that were beneath me. I became that person I once was, and have for a long time no longer wish to be.

So if you see me on a thread, and I suddenly become MIA I am not forgetting about you folks. I am just being someone that I can be proud of.

DA

This post was edited by damccoy on Tue, Apr 22, 14 at 17:55

Here's a quote from a website - digitized.com.
"n the meantime, I would suggest using the same mindset toward cloud storage as company email; the safe course is to assume everything you send out is being monitored."

Cloud Computing is a dispersed computing through a network. It is capable of running a computer on various computers all at the same time. It refers to the hardware machines or servers connected on a network such as Internet, Intranet, LAN or WAN giving the users the capability to access their data anytime, anywhere. For more information, refer to the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Techyv - Cloud Computing

"No critical, financial, or personal data should be stored in the cloud"

The vast majority of financial, critical, and personal data is stored in the cloud. Your bank most likely uses amazon's cloud services.

Huge data warehousing services are way more secure and reliable than your home system.

When a user has the opportunity to control the storage of personal/critical data they should do so. You can't leave it all up to corporate America.

I like the link below just as an example.

DA

Here is a link that might be useful: Computer World

Who or what is or isn't "corporate America"? You use it as if a pejorative term.

Cloud is a term that connotes everything and nothing at the same time. I think users can make use of so-called cloud storage if they find it convenient, without any unnecessary fear. Except for what the NSA is doing, there isn't an underground room somewhere where people in black clothes are accumulating personal information about you, to know if you use strawberry or raspberry jam on your toast and to see how much you spent on your niece's birthday present. Honestly, whatever personal information anyone could come across isn't personal and no one cares.

The sky isn't falling..

Seems every one cares or justly has some level of concern for privacy except you snidely.

There are things in my cloud that could affect my finances should the bad guy get hands on it. And its easy to search tons of data for what they want once they have acess.

Ditto Mikie.

My personal goal is to limit my exposure whenever possible by all means possible to me. For others, shortcomings if any will be their concern.

DA

This post was edited by damccoy on Sat, May 3, 14 at 13:42

Words like exposure and privacy are also nebulous, they're very context sensitive.

"Things in the cloud"? What cloud, where? What specific risk concerns you?

Done.

DA

This is a discussion forum, you seem to get upset that you can't control conversations.

If you prefer to see only your own opinions, you should set up your own website. With that you can control what's said. But not here.

When there's a discussion you don't wish to participate in, feel free to ignore it.

No, to the contrary. I never get "upset" here. I just have to be cautious as to what I publish. Further, I have no desire to "control" anything as I have nothing to prove. I leave that to others.

What I do at times is vacate a thread when I see no merit to continue as beating one's head against the wall serves no purpose. Nor do I wish to engage in a debate at every turn in the road. My time is too precious.

All in all, I just get tired of dealing with confrontational, mean spirited, rude, condescending know-it-alls who hide behind the veil of Internet anonymity as they ignore the basic courtesy of respect to others who have alternative positions, opinions, and viewpoints. This is particularly true when the focus is a member of minimal experience.

The aggressive members have been politely chastised and counseled by others as to their presentations and demeanor both here, and on other forums. However, as in everything else the well-meaning counselors are the ones who are wrong.

Perhaps it hasn't been noticed that assistance requests here at the forum are down along with those members who assist in resolving them. I can assure that the forum back channels are humming.

DA

This post was edited by damccoy on Sun, May 4, 14 at 9:26

Understanding discussion versus accusations and derogatory comments:
snidely
snide
[snahyd] Show IPA
adjective, snid÷er, snid÷est.
derogatory in a nasty, insinuating manner: snide remarks about his boss.

I see, those who disagree with you are rude and condescending know-it-alls with an understanding inferior to yours. To make it worse, they're anonymous. We're sure lucky to have you here!

I speak up when contributors try to spread FUD - fear, uncertainty and doubt. There are many novice users reading these threads, most of whom already have unnecessary discomfort and fear about using their PCs. You're welcome to have any point of view but others may question the comments you offer from your lofty position above all of us.

Sorry to disappoint you fruitjar, I'm using the name from my favorite TV cartoon character.

DA certainly has a lofty position in my book. He earned it by not only being kind and helpful to those who've sought help at this forum for many, many years but for being a gentleman. He's never attempted to educate by fear nor knowingly scared some new member away with a brusk, pugilistic virtual tongue. He's respectful.

I grew into this computer world many eons ago with a very healthy respect for it and those who contribute to it. I devoured every piece of computer knowledge that came my way until I was comfortable enough to operate my system safely and without the aid of some local guru. There was no fear involved then or now...but I do understand how there could be to someone who is not yet computer literate or not logically inclined.

That being stated, I consider the cloud novices who are questioning it to be very wise at this point in its development. I, personally, won't use it...finding other more private ways to store my info. But for those who have a need for that amount of storage, it may serve their purpose if all the inherent risks are understood and accepted. It won't become a tool of mine in the near future and I would repeat the advice given by many that have posted it here. Proceed with caution...and educate yourselves.

Conducting a virtual donnybrook within this otherwise respected and informed community serves no purpose other than to scare away those who need and seek its help. Perhaps, Snidely, you should exercise a little of the personal control that appears to serve DA quite well...and remember an old adage oft repeated by my ancestors. If you can't say something nice...don't say anything at all.

Anne

I'm going to let it drop, Anne. Take a moment and give it a rescan from the top. Some people like to make proclamations and then get belligerent when such proclamations are questioned. It's happened before.

I ask questions or make comments to probe and clarify, not to provoke ad hominem or seemingly disgust-ridden comments. I've explained myself, that's enough.