The Cloud idea

[Lark]

My phone indicated that it was syncing my information with "the cloud", I dont know what the fuck that means but I plan to find out, pretty much all I know about it is from the late scandal involving celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence and their private pictures being uploaded to this "cloud" idea and then it being hacked.

What do you all think about the idea and its consequences? I'm not really that happy with the extent to which all devices are communicating with one another presently, I see it having more utility for technologically aware criminals or predators than I do see it having utility for technologically ignorant or uninterested end users.

 

[Pionart]

Let them have their fun.

5 4 3 2 1

 

[Fluffywolf]

Big information is the future of internet business'.

They will keep trying and pushing as many ways to get to know as much as possible about you in order to get advertisers willing to employ them to sell awareness about products to specifically picked target audiences. Whilest there is better consumer practice and laws in place about this in the last couple of years. There still isnt a person on this planet that ever read a terms of service.

I tend to personally disable information sharing services as much as possible as a rule.

 

[Kheledon]

I keep little or nothing in my "cloud." If I want to keep something forever, I e-mail it to a gmail account I have set up solely for that purpose.

I don't trust "the cloud" at all.

 

[Mole]

I keep little or nothing in my "cloud." If I want to keep something forever, I e-mail it to a gmail account I have set up solely for that purpose.

I don't trust "the cloud" at all.

I have always understood that my gmail account is in the cloud. It keeps everything I write permanently and make it all immediately available to me.

 

[Kheledon]

It is, but it's a dispersed cloud, and it's near-impossible to identify one person's data from another. With Apple's system, once hacked, it was easy to find what the hackers were looking for. With Google, it's too anonymous for that to work. Anybody can create an account, under any name, from any computer. Not so with an Apple phone.

 

[Lark]

If you've read The Lord of Light, its a sci fi novel, they have the cloud in it and its a really strange idea, mutated super human's consciousness goes there if they are killed and they can be given a fresh existence of body if the authorities permit.

 

[Mole]

The Cloud and the Noosphere

It is interesting that the Cloud is moving towards the idea of the noosphere by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin SJ, (1881 – 1955), who was a French idealist philosopher and Jesuit priest, who trained as a paleontologist and geologist, and took part in the discovery of Peking Man.

As the noosphere gets closer, it seems we can see it has positives and negatives, and it will bring about the greatest social and personal change since the invention of the printing press in 1440.

You recall the invention of the printing press in 1440 gave us the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Enlightenment, and a new way of thinking called counter intuitive thinking, which forms the basis of the modern world.

And according to Pierre Teilard de Chardin SJ, the noosphere will not give us a new way of thinking, but a new way of feeling.

The printing press changed our minds, while the noosphere will change our hearts.

 

[meowington]

And according to Pierre Teilard de Chardin SJ, the noosphere will not give us a new way of thinking, but a new way of feeling.

The printing press changed our minds, while the noosphere will change our hearts.

Interesting. I vaguely remember his noosphere idea. Did de Chardin elaborate on that ? I don't really see how it would or could affect the hearts of people. Except maybe that the internet does serve as a very fast way to find like-minded people and share emotions or at least personal experiences, which definitely counts as revolutionary. Is that somewhat what is implied ?

 

[Lark]

It is interesting that the Cloud is moving towards the idea of the noosphere by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin SJ, (1881 – 1955), who was a French idealist philosopher and Jesuit priest, who trained as a paleontologist and geologist, and took part in the discovery of Peking Man.

As the noosphere gets closer, it seems we can see it has positives and negatives, and it will bring about the greatest social and personal change since the invention of the printing press in 1440.

You recall the invention of the printing press in 1440 gave us the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Enlightenment, and a new way of thinking called counter intuitive thinking, which forms the basis of the modern world.

And according to Pierre Teilard de Chardin SJ, the noosphere will not give us a new way of thinking, but a new way of feeling.

The printing press changed our minds, while the noosphere will change our hearts.

I'm not sure I agree but its interesting to know.

- - - Updated - - -

Interesting. I vaguely remember his noosphere idea. Did de Chardin elaborate on that ? I don't really see how it would or could affect the hearts of people. Except maybe that the internet does serve as a very fast way to find like-minded people and share emotions or at least personal experiences, which definitely counts as revolutionary. Is that somewhat what is implied ?

I think there's more emoting and affect driven sharing on the internet than anywhere else.

 

[meowington]

I think there's more emoting and affect driven sharing on the internet than anywhere else.

Yeah exactly, true.

The idea of de Chardin seems to imply though as if it's a predestined plan. Given his background most likely religiously inspired. Of course I do see how the internet/cloud fits the description so to say.

 

[Tater]

cloud services have been taking the internet by storm for the past 6 years...

cloud storage benefits businesses by creating redundant partitions of information. if an in-house storage server breaks, or a server room is destroyed by a natural disaster, then outsourced cloud machines provide a way for you to get your data back. data about intellectual property and finances is critical to the success of companies that handle any of their business through virtual means.

in addition, virtual machines on the 'cloud' provide more affordable solutions for fledgling companies that cannot yet shell out the overhead for high quality server rooms.

most of the arguments to be brought against cloud services could be brought against the internet in general. social media, message boards, and practically anything being trafficked to an outbound server runs the risk of being compromised.

 

[meowington]

most of the arguments to be brought against cloud services could be brought against the internet in general. social media, message boards, and practically anything being trafficked to an outbound server runs the risk of being compromised.

Yeah, as a system administrator I can confirm that. I make no illusions that practically anything is hackable/crackable, whether you store it inhouse or in cloud, once it is publicly reachable. It usually depends on the interest and effort spent on obtaining that data. And the nature/sensitivity of the data. I count myself lucky that I only work for a construction company. Our data is not that interesting, not even for competitors. Thank god I don't work for a financial company. I used to hold off our move to the cloud, but eventually it's the reasonable thing to do for small to midsized companies.

I hope however that Google/Facebook/... sort of big data does not fall into the wrong (political) hands some day.

 

[Mole]

Both Marshall McLuhan, and Pierre de Chardin, were Catholic idealists, and both had the same insight into the noosphere.

 

[Coriolis]

What do you all think about the idea and its consequences? I'm not really that happy with the extent to which all devices are communicating with one another presently, I see it having more utility for technologically aware criminals or predators than I do see it having utility for technologically ignorant or uninterested end users.

I don't trust the cloud any further than I can throw it. I don't keep anything in the cloud of my own volition. If my employer, or medical providers, or others who have information about me do so, it is without my consent or involvement. I volunteer with a local community group, and I did in fact make a dropbox account for us to use, but only for exchanging photos of public events. The photos were swamping people's mailboxes otherwise.

Yeah, as a system administrator I can confirm that. I make no illusions that practically anything is hackable/crackable, whether you store it inhouse or in cloud, once it is publicly reachable. It usually depends on the interest and effort spent on obtaining that data. And the nature/sensitivity of the data. I count myself lucky that I only work for a construction company. Our data is not that interesting, not even for competitors. Thank god I don't work for a financial company. I used to hold off our move to the cloud, but eventually it's the reasonable thing to do for small to midsized companies.

I hope however that Google/Facebook/... sort of big data does not fall into the wrong (political) hands some day.

Exactly. This is why I do not use social media, do not have a Google account, and have been very reluctant even to get a smartphone. The only exception to exchanging sensitive information online is that I have started using online banking. I follow my accounts very closely, though, so at least can alert my bank quickly if anything anomalous appears.

I see great potential in being able to access information online from anywhere, or being able to share it with others via links to a cloud service. Same with other online services. Until we have much stronger privacy safeguards, however, and good evidence that they will be implemented and enforced with the necessary thoroughness, I am very hesitant to put any personal information out there.

 

[Lark]

I don't trust the cloud any further than I can throw it. I don't keep anything in the cloud of my own volition. If my employer, or medical providers, or others who have information about me do so, it is without my consent or involvement. I volunteer with a local community group, and I did in fact make a dropbox account for us to use, but only for exchanging photos of public events. The photos were swamping people's mailboxes otherwise.

I think some of this is driven by cultures of transparency or full disclosure among elites whose lives have been open books and I'm not sure they would have choosen it that way but its how it is and they want to afflict it on everyone else too as a "good" when its ambiguous at best.

 

[SpankyMcFly]

I keep little or nothing in my "cloud." If I want to keep something forever, I e-mail it to a gmail account I have set up solely for that purpose.

I don't trust "the cloud" at all.

I do the same thing. DOWN with the cloud!

 

[Tater]

 

[Mole]

Originally Posted by Kheledon -

I keep little or nothing in my "cloud." If I want to keep something forever, I e-mail it to a gmail account

As I understand it, gmail is in the Cloud.