LFrom the readings and in your experience, what exactly is Cloud Computing and what are some ethical issues or concerns regarding it? Considering the Internet meme that “There is no cloud. It’s just someone else’s computer”:
Cloud computing is a type of Internet-based computing that provides shared computer processing resources and data to computers and other devices on demand by Wikipedia. From the reading, Cloud computing is described as an efficient way to manage data of computer servers. Clouding and cloud were already existed before the popular services begun, it was used to store and manage the lots of the computer by programmers, engineers, and others. However, as the smartphone industry grew, the cloud was generalized to the users and customers, who need a solution for the data storage mainly. With the pros and cons, the cloud service still used by most of smartphone or even developers as a solution to individual need.
As developer, what are the advantages and disadvantages of the Cloud? Describe any experiences you’ve had in using the Cloud as a development platform, what led you to use it, and if you plan on using it in the future.
Firstly as a developer, there are two types of advantages of using cloud service. First is the cost-efficient and time-saving. As before the cloud service was introduced, most of developers and groups had to spent much on purchasing the hard-drives and another computers as a storage. When I was in the start-up building up the mobile application, we could also save the money and time by manage the data and the thousands of codes safely into the cloud system. Because there are many types of solutions differed in service, concentration, cost, and companies, the cloud system could enable us to select the company and its product from many other deals and products. Therefore, the service or the promotion such as like free trial also additionally supported us to develop cost-efficiently.
Then the second advantage as a developer was accessibility of data. While the mobile application had to build up from many other devices and in a cooperated way for many developers, this cloud system enabled us to share and work effectively with others. Similar to the service Google Docs, it is a better solution when the cooperation is needed! Also this accessibility and simple/easy UI/UX led us to just focus on developing, but not to spend time on learning the methods to store and share the data.
However, as a developer, the security was the biggest concern of using cloud program. Because it was easily accessbile by entering passwords into the web service, the stored data of codes and programs in cloud seemed not secured enough. Similar to the “hacked databases of other apps” I introduced from the previous post, there were actual cases of hacking of databases on other mobile application cases, therefore, it was always important for us to back up the significant data even there was a cloud we used.
Our mobile application also used an AWS server and the cloud system to store the app usage data at the beginning. However, it had a difficulty and limitation of using the application, when AWS was on a test or an inspection. It stopped and limited the users and also us to operate the mobile application. Therefore after we realized that the inspection is quite often, we changed the whole system and created the back up solution for the data.
As a consumer, what are the advantages and disadvantages of the Cloud? Describe what sort of Cloud services you use on a regular basis.
As a consumer, specifically as a iphone 16gb user, the cloud programs provide a better solution and a cost-effective way to manage the data inside the smartphone. The most type of data I need in the smartphone is obviously the photos. Before the cloud system was introduced, I had to manually move the photos to the storage like USB or a hard drive to make up the space. But after I use the App Google Photo, the alert on overuse of data storage never shows up. Also it is cost-efficient, because I do not have to neither purchase extra hard drive nor 64GB smartphone to use the smartphone in a convenient way.
However, while I started to use the Google Photos with my personal gmail account from company’s domain. There was a shocking moment, when my personal photos were shown at the Google Drive that the company used. With the default settings those Google Photos provide, it was automatically shared to Google Drive. At that moment, I fortunately had small numbers of photos, but after I realized it, it was very important for me to check the default settings of cloud program before I use it. Naked celebrity hack: security experts focus on iCloud backup theory and What Jennifer Lawrence can teach you about cloud security describe how the security of Icloud was weak to be hacked and leaked to the public. I personally do not believe in ICloud, because the security alerts come out less than the other programs. While I switch the Itunes account with the company’s account to test the prototype of mobile app, it happened a lot to me, where my photos and the data were automatically shared to the ICloud and then moved to another member’s device without any notice or alerts. With simple clicks or even with out notice, the personal data is often too easily shared or automatically operated through the default system of cloud program.
Discuss the trade-offs are you making in utilizing these platforms as both a developer and a consumer. At the end of the day, do you trust the Cloud?
Cloud is now another platform or the service that the companies provide. If one has experience in developing or managing the service, one should know how it is unstable to manage the program with enormous size of the data. Not even the expert of the programmer would predict what problem would appear at the service. For example, last week, due to the AWS down server, the students weren’t able to check the material or the resources in Sakai and it caused a lot of problems in productivity of students. Simplicity and easiness through the data management enables us to store and easily access to the data just by signing into the account. However, as there is always cons when there is pros, this simplicity also enables the security enemy better accessible than the past. If cloud is only discussed with the convenience and efficiency, the service will only hold the strong points. However, with the complexity of security, the debates will be continued to create better solution.
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