cloud computing (and python)?

[PatrickMinnesota]

On Jan 1, 7:12 pm, Neil Hodgson <nyamatongwe+thun... at gmail.com> wrote:
>     Cloud computing is mostly about scalability. You do not need to be
> concerned so much about low level infrastructure details such as
> purchasing servers, configuring and maintaining them, hiring space in
> data centres, linking up data centres, etc. It converts a lot of fixed
> costs into lower recurring costs so makes it easier for a start up with
> limited capital to start operating.
>
>     There are Python libraries for accessing some of the cloud computing
> services and you can also host Python application code on some services
> that allow code execution. This includes services that can run arbitrary
> code on virtual machines such as EC2 and more restricted computational
> services like Hadoop which can run Jython.
>
>     Neil

I would say that cloud computing to an implementor or company
providing cloud
computing is all about scalability and stuff like S3 and EC3.  There
are
other options for this BTW.

But to the end user, it's about having your data and applications on a
disk
served by a network and server that is somewhere out there on the net
and
accessible from anywhere that you have connectivity. You might travel
with
a laptop, but generally, when in Hong Kong, you'll be screwed if a
chunk of
data is sitting on a disk inside a desktop in your home office and
isn't on
your laptop.  With the 'cloud' concept, it wouldn't matter where you
are,
as long as you have a connection to the internet, you can run the apps
and
access the data.

Issues:  and yes, they are big, who has control over the data, is it
being
backed up and protected, and is your private data being mined without
your approval. Oh,
and what happens if you use Zoho's system and they go out of
business?