Life in the Cloud
Internet technology is seeing an overall trend towards increased connectivity (always on), information sharing (openness), and most importantly, data existing in "the Cloud" (anywhere access). This is a fascinating prospect, because no one can tell what the results will be.
Consider: The Amazon Kindle. At the core this device does something that many devices have done before, that is, it offers always on transparent connectivity, but it took this commonplace technology and applied it to an entirely different market.
Technology migration between markets is common enough, so why is this case special? Because the Kindle did not just take an existing technology. It took a technology and gave users access to the Cloud.
What is this Cloud thing anyway?
Many people are already accustomed to the idea of a global village facilitated through the internet. In fact, Herbert Marshall McLuhan coined "global village" in his 1962 work The Gutenberg Galaxy, describing how electronic media dissolves traditional communication barriers between humans. This creates a world where there are virtually no limits, and people can exchange ideas, share knowledge, and provide services on a global scale. The internet has enabled all of these feats, yet our digital interactions remain constrained by physical boundaries.
Playing off the village metaphor, this physical limit could be analogized as personal houses in the cyber-village. At your metaphorical house is everything important to you. You have
- a closet full of email
- stacks of MP3s and movies
- filing cabinets full of documents from your first 9th grade paper
- your finances
- your latest business model
Not to mention the room dedicated to your photo albums and the basement/workshop with toolboxes containing:
- word processors
- media players
- text editors
- photo editing tools
In real life, of course, this house is your computer. Rather, it is probably a couple of computers: at work, home, or in your pocket. The thought of losing your virtual house to any number of possible disasters (e.g., theft, crackers, disk corruption) is devastating. The dread is a consequence of the technology shift. An information technology shift from the analog to the digital, from physical to abstract. We're approaching an era where this digital house dissolves entirely. Where your information exists everywhere and nowhere, accessible from any device, anywhere.
The Kindle represents an early glimpse of this transformation. With the Kindle you have access to books, newspapers, blogs, Wikipedia, and the internet in general, all without connecting to a computer.
With the Kindle you have access to books, newspapers, blogs, Wikipedia, and the internet in general, all without connecting to a computer. You can buy books through the Kindle store and while they are sent to your device Amazon keeps a copy of everything you purchase (subscriptions, books, magazines) in the Cloud. Not only that but the Kindle automatically sends your notes, annotations, clippings, and bookmarks in the Cloud.
But this post isn't supposed to be Kindle advertisement. What the Kindle lacks is openness. Being wrapped in layers of DRM forces the Kindle into not sharing nicely with others.
Openness will be crucial to life in the Cloud. As we move our data and applications into this new distributed model, we need assurance that our information won't be locked into proprietary silos controlled by a single company. The free and open source software movement has already demonstrated the power of collaborative development and shared standards. These are principles that become even more vital when our digital lives exist across multiple platforms and services.