Cloud computing seem to be growing in popularity. It’s usually pretty easy to find praise about a new service or application, but genuine and reliable opinions about the downsides seem to be a lot more difficult to come by. At the risk of opening up a flood gate of negativity, I was wondering if anyone would mind sharing with me some of the downsides they’ve noticed/complaints they have about cloud computing.

I apologize in advance if this comes off as a rant, but my complaint list about clouds is pretty lengthy.

One problem I have is that its scalability and resources are limited, yet there are so many new clouds popping up and pulling on those resources. Too many people have access to it, yet the people who depend upon it the most have the least control over what specific hardware they're on, where their data resides, where their power is coming from, or if there's adequate cooling.

Inserting data and applications into a cloud can seem like you’re doing just that—literally. It seems like you’re blindly loading information into a puff of smoke.

Also, just like with loading information into a puff of smoke, security is an issue as well. Because of the easy access to cloud information, any data of even remotely sensitive nature, would be at risk if put onto a cloud.

Then, there is the problem of cloud services running too slow for comfort. The slow performance compounded with the increasing number of people vying for use of the same resource, is going to affect the quality of your site. In 2010, who wants to wait 5 years for their pictures and data to load?

Perhaps my biggest problem with cloud is that even though it can be slow, limited and vulnerable, the prices for using it can be outrageous. Generally, you pay for how much of the resources you use as opposed to be charged one monthly fee. This brings me back to the security issue; if a hacker breaks into your site and runs up your cloud usage, you can only imagine the financial woes this could pose to your company. The risks of using cloud just do not seem comparable to the potential costs.

Another big issue is portability. If you are dissatisfied with your cloud service provider and decide that you want to move to another company, transferring your data from one provider to another, can prove incredibly difficult. Cloud services are simply not yet equipped to make such a transition, a smooth one.

Don’t get me wrong, cloud computing does have its virtues. But its flaws, in my opinion, are just too risky and costly to downplay.

There’s no need to apologize or worry about ranting. You were giving me your honest opinion, which is exactly what I wanted. If anything, I appreciate your candor. You seem to have a lot to say about the downsides of using cloud and from what you’ve written, I have to agree with you; it does seem too risky and costly to downplay issues like that. Thanks for your input!

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPINNER825

Also, just like with loading information into a puff of smoke, security is an issue as well. Because of the easy access to cloud information, any data of even remotely sensitive nature, would be at risk if put onto a cloud.

Then, there is the problem of cloud services running too slow for comfort. The slow performance compounded with the increasing number of people vying for use of the same resource, is going to affect the quality of your site. In 2010, who wants to wait 5 years for their pictures and data to load?

Perhaps my biggest problem with cloud is that even though it can be slow, limited and vulnerable, the prices for using it can be outrageous. Generally, you pay for how much of the resources you use as opposed to be charged one monthly fee. This brings me back to the security issue; if a hacker breaks into your site and runs up your cloud usage, you can only imagine the financial woes this could pose to your company. The risks of using cloud just do not seem comparable to the potential costs.

Another big issue is portability. If you are dissatisfied with your cloud service provider and decide that you want to move to another company, transferring your data from one provider to another, can prove incredibly difficult. Cloud services are simply not yet equipped to make such a transition, a smooth one.

I don’t know much about the portability and security issues that you mentioned, but I have to agree with the fact that it is a bit on the slow side and that the prices can get outrageous if you’re not careful. I think if the charges are easy to rack up, the quality should match what I’m paying,.

SPINNER825 has a point about the security issue. For what it’s worth, the government won’t even touch it because it’s so easy to dabble and play around in.

Thank you everyone for sharing opinions with me. Like I said before, it’s kind of difficult to find honest criticisms. I’m glad you all took the time to let me know your thoughts.