Comments on: Is cloud computing a trap? http://maffulli.net/2008/10/01/is-cloud-computing-a-trap/ about open communities, source of freedom and good software Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:00:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Stef http://maffulli.net/2008/10/01/is-cloud-computing-a-trap/#comment-32796 Stef Tue, 14 Oct 2008 06:14:42 +0000 http://maffulli.net/?p=647#comment-32796 Hi Ernest, I agree that FOSS community has lots of space to grow in the field :) Hi Ernest, I agree that FOSS community has lots of space to grow in the field :)

]]> By: Ernest Park http://maffulli.net/2008/10/01/is-cloud-computing-a-trap/#comment-32793 Ernest Park Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:58:47 +0000 http://maffulli.net/?p=647#comment-32793 Hi Stefano - From my recollection, an AGPLv3 project, Clipperz, proposed a framework for an open and fully encrypted user/password manager. Adoption of the recommended the concept of "zero-knowledge", where the application knows nothing more about a user than the transactional load that the user imposes and the general selections made. Clippers eliminates being able to easily associate any individual with any transaction, creating architectural anonymity. (http://www.clipperz.com/users/marco/blog/2007/08/24/anatomy_zero_knowledge_web_application) While Google is not sending us the keys to the kingdom, or the related source, we should be pushing for AGPLv3 or a suitable web services oriented license and zero-knowledge usage as offered by Clipperz. I use a myriad of web services. I voluntarily trade certain freedoms for conveniences, but it would be nice if the FOSS community could come together to solve this. Ernie References - http://gpl3.blogspot.com/2008/05/gpl-project-watch-list-for-week-of-0523.html http://gpl3.blogspot.com/2008/06/gpl-project-watch-list-for-week-of-0530.html http://www.clipperz.com/users/marco/blog/2008/05/30/freedom_and_privacy_cloud_call_action Hi Stefano -

From my recollection, an AGPLv3 project, Clipperz, proposed a framework for an open and fully encrypted user/password manager. Adoption of the recommended the concept of “zero-knowledge”, where the application knows nothing more about a user than the transactional load that the user imposes and the general selections made. Clippers eliminates being able to easily associate any individual with any transaction, creating architectural anonymity. (http://www.clipperz.com/users/marco/blog/2007/08/24/anatomy_zero_knowledge_web_application)

While Google is not sending us the keys to the kingdom, or the related source, we should be pushing for AGPLv3 or a suitable web services oriented license and zero-knowledge usage as offered by Clipperz.

I use a myriad of web services. I voluntarily trade certain freedoms for conveniences, but it would be nice if the FOSS community could come together to solve this.

Ernie
References -
http://gpl3.blogspot.com/2008/05/gpl-project-watch-list-for-week-of-0523.html
http://gpl3.blogspot.com/2008/06/gpl-project-watch-list-for-week-of-0530.html
http://www.clipperz.com/users/marco/blog/2008/05/30/freedom_and_privacy_cloud_call_action

]]> By: Stef http://maffulli.net/2008/10/01/is-cloud-computing-a-trap/#comment-32742 Stef Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:51:43 +0000 http://maffulli.net/?p=647#comment-32742 I didn't think of Gears, you're right. You can also export all files in ODF format and with IMAP/POP3 access you can keep your data locally. I agree with you that the real issue is privacy and security and there is no doubt that Gmail and similar services cannot guarantee it. Plus using them gives google an incredible power. The mobile ecosystem is quite complex. I think it's a place where open standard and free/libre software will play *the* role. I talked also about these issues in Portland, the slides are <a href="http://assets.en.oreilly.com/1/event/12/Leveraging%20Mobile%20Open%20Source%20for%20New%20Wireless%20Apps%20and%20Services%20%20Presentation.odp" rel="nofollow">here (ODP)</a>. I didn’t think of Gears, you’re right. You can also export all files in ODF format and with IMAP/POP3 access you can keep your data locally. I agree with you that the real issue is privacy and security and there is no doubt that Gmail and similar services cannot guarantee it. Plus using them gives google an incredible power.
The mobile ecosystem is quite complex. I think it’s a place where open standard and free/libre software will play *the* role. I talked also about these issues in Portland, the slides are here (ODP).

]]> By: Alfredo http://maffulli.net/2008/10/01/is-cloud-computing-a-trap/#comment-32741 Alfredo Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:54:06 +0000 http://maffulli.net/?p=647#comment-32741 > The latest hype puts MobileMe (and Funambol, fwiw) into the ‘cloud’ > but I don’t believe it’s the same thing as Gmail or Gdocs. GDocs related, but is an extensible example: If you use Gears, you have your data in the cloud bu also in your local storage... If i use a email client for storing my email (imap access to the server), i have data in the cloud but also in my local space... Local persistence of "in the cloud" data are one of the keys for mobile ecosystem development... Mobile devices are "disconnected by design", but they know how to retrieve data from the cloud and store this data and present it to me when i need, also if I cannot reach the Net. I think that Stallman's opinion is mainly about "security and privacy" of your data: with free software I can check what apps do with my data, every single bit of my data... with closed webapps, I completely lose this control. More, if I'm unable to replicate data on local space, I lose also my data. And this is the worse scenario. My 2 cents... > The latest hype puts MobileMe (and Funambol, fwiw) into the ‘cloud’
> but I don’t believe it’s the same thing as Gmail or Gdocs.

GDocs related, but is an extensible example: If you use Gears, you have your data in the cloud bu also in your local storage…
If i use a email client for storing my email (imap access to the server), i have data in the cloud but also in my local space…

Local persistence of “in the cloud” data are one of the keys for mobile ecosystem development… Mobile devices are “disconnected by design”, but they know how to retrieve data from the cloud and store this data and present it to me when i need, also if I cannot reach the Net.

I think that Stallman’s opinion is mainly about “security and privacy” of your data: with free software I can check what apps do with my data, every single bit of my data… with closed webapps, I completely lose this control. More, if I’m unable to replicate data on local space, I lose also my data. And this is the worse scenario.

My 2 cents…

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