Re: [Social-discuss] Some Thoughts

[Jason Self]

Henry Litwhiler <address@hidden> wrote ..
   
> Absolutely - there isn't anything inherently wrong with the idea of 
> cloud computing

On the contrary: "Cloud Computing" is a nebulous term for Software as a 
Service. 
RMS recently gave a talk on that [1]. I was able to record it as as well [2].

> all it means is that you can access all your files, documents, media, etc.
> from any computer connected to the internet.

Storing files on someone else's server so that you (or others) can access them 
from wherever you (or they) wish isn't SaaS, so long as that server is only 
acting as a repository for the files you referred to, although it does raise 
other issues.

> The idea is a good one - it's just that the highly proprietary implementation 
of it has been wrong.

The software running in "the cloud" should certainly be free, otherwise the 
cloud operator has lost their freedom, but whether it is actually free or not 
has no bearing on the SaaS issue.

"...if the programs on the server are free, that doesn't protect you as the 
server's user from the effects of SaaS. They give freedom to the operator, but 
not to you ... Software as a service always subjects you to the power of the 
server operator, and the only remedy is to avoid it ... Use a real computer and 
keep your data there. Do your work with your own copy of a free program, for 
your freedom's sake." --Richard Stallman.

[1] http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/who-does-that-server-really-serve.html
[2] http://aws.bluehome.net/saas.html