Now that I am in college, I have a decently-fast Internet connection around the clock. I have noticed myself moving more of my activities online – I’m not using the desktop (or laptop, in this case) as much. I’m hoping to start a four or five part series about cloud life and what it’s like to compute only in the cloud. The four sections are as follows:
- Philosophy of cloud computing, Why Web 2.0?
- Web 2.0 tools I use
- Moving into the cloud, how to use all these tools
- Criticism for life in the cloud
The series will start in the next week or so, and will last over the next month or two. I’m going to start today by offering an introduction to the cloud – I will offer a succinct definition of Web 2.0 and the Internet in general.
The Internet
The Internet is a series of tubes. Well, not exactly, but Ted Steven’s definition isn’t that far off. The Internet is a huge network of computer. Think about your network at home; you have two, three, or maybe four computers, that all share the same connection. In your house, you are actually running a mini-Internet – all the connected computers can share resources and send information between each other. There is no “center” or main-server of the Internet; it is a highly decentralized network designed for sharing information. Email, VoIP, and the World Wide Web are parts of the Internet. Email is a way to send messages between computers connected to the Internet, VoIP is a voice-message protocol, and the Web is a file-sharing network, designed for exchanging documents.
Web 2.0
I do not particularly like the term Web 2.0, because it creates a certain type of hierarchy in a system that is supposedly order-less. But, that’s what people are using these days. Web 2.0 is not actually a second version of the World Wide Web or the Internet – there is no major software or hardware difference between Web 2.0 and 1.0, or whatever was before these terms emerged. Instead, Web 2.0 is a shift in the way people use the Internet and the services offered by it. According to Tim O’Reilly, the supposed father of Web 2.0, “Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform.” For more on the shift from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0, the metamorphosis from the expert-driven Internet to a user-generated Internet, read a paper I wrote during high school called “Tubes.” Download it as a PDF, but please don’t steal my writing. Also, check Wikipedia, it does have lots of good information.
In short, Web 2.0 aims at connection more people and encourages collaboration. Examples of Web 2.0 websites or services are Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Blogger (or any blog or podcast), and Wikipedia – basically, any social networking site falls into the genre of Web 2.0. It is a shift in the way programmers write soft ware and how we, the general public, Interact with those programs.
Cloud Computing
The cloud is a way of talking about the Internet – when viewing at a map of the Internet or considering how the Internet works, it looks and to some extent, acts, like a cloud. Cloud computing is the development and use of Internet based technologies. It is a genre of computing that allows people to access services on the Internet, or the cloud, “without knowledge of, expertise with, or control over the technology infrastructure that supports them” (Wikipedia). Google, Amazon, and Yahoo! all are driving forces in the development of cloud computing. Cloud computing includes many, if not all, Web 2.0 services and is an example of the idea of “software as a service.”
Up Next…
I hope this gives you a better idea and greater understanding of the Internet, Web 2.0, and cloud computing. I hope these definitions will lay a groundwork for the rest of the series. Be sure to check out my paper about the Internet, “Tubes,” which I wrote during my junior year of high school. It is about the fundamental shift in the way people use the Internet. I’ve had fun writing this post, and I hope you’ve enjoyed it! In the coming weeks, I will publish “Part 1: Why Web 2.0?” detailing some of the philosophy behind Web 2.0 and cloud computing. I also made a video, watch it below. Be sure to comment and email me your feedback!
Video
Life in the Cloud: Introduction from Kabren Levinson on Vimeo.
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Very nice introduction to the concept of Web 2.0. I’m with you on that being an odd name… but you know, it helps people get a grasp of how the Internet is changing. I especially appreciated your explanation of cloud computing. Most of the media makes is sound so esoteric!
I’ve wanted to write an article about cloud computing too, but in the end I mainly wrote about the future of music, and the relation between “web 2.0″ and music.
I’m eager to read the next parts.
Mark.
Thanks for the information. You may be interested to know that Telstra – Australia’s biggest telco has just announced (on 17th August) a $500m investment into cloud computing which is pretty huge.
I seriously love your website.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you create this site yourself? Please reply back as I’m wanting to create my very own blog and want to learn where you got this from or exactly what the theme is named. Many thanks!
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