I have never heard the term “cloud computing” before this lesson which doesn’t surprise me considering the fact that I’ve said this about nearly everything we’ve discussed this term… But anyways, apparently I’ve been using cloud computing for years without even realizing it. Examples include Facebook and Google Docs-basically any site that allows users to access information without it being in a static place. For example, I can access my Facebook page, pictures and groups from any computer anywhere in the world because they are stored in Facebook’s servers, not just on my computer.
I admit that I still don’t fully understand cloud computing and what it means exactly, despite reading numerous articles about it. Maybe because it’s late and I’m tired or maybe because it’s just a concept that I need to delve into a bit deeper, I don’t know, but it seems to be a useful tool for libraries. According to the Michael Stephens article, librarians already use it to answer reference questions. For example, checking out blogs, Wikis and Flickr pictures to answer questions are all cases of cloud computing being put to use. As the author stated in this article, it would be a crime to limit users access to such social media sites, which I was unaware that libraries did by limiting browsers and hardware compatibility.
Advantages
The obvious advantages to cloud computing are convenience and simplicity. Everything you need can be available to you anywhere. This could be a huge time saver and makes life a bit easier on those who make use of cloud computing.
Disadvantages
The main concerns regarding cloud computing are privacy and security issues. Does passwords and usernames offer enough protection? How safe are my Facebook pictures and Google docs? Not that I’m overly concerned about someone reading about a group project or checking out my profile pictures, but still, for someone who uses these sites to store more sensitive information, privacy concerns could be a real issue.
Conclusions
Cloud computing is apparently everywhere. It’s convenient and useful for individuals as well as libraries. However, concerns about security and privacy make this concept a hot topic for debate for some people and companies. I admit that I’m not entirely sure what cloud computing entails so more indepth research is definitively needed, but for now I’m going to say I’m a fan since apparently I use it everyday…
jennalin 