12/6 Reading Responses

What cloud computing really means

Cloud computing is a phrase with which I was not familiar before reading this article.  I think that in the future, cloud computing could allow for more Internet sites to appeal to greater audiences, and other sites could become more efficient and offer more options to users.  This site offered rather helpful basic descriptions of different kinds of cloud computing, and what they offer to users.  Among the different kinds of cloud computing, I think that SaaS, Utility computing, and Service commerce platforms are the three kinds of cloud computing that could become more popular within the near future, because of their relatively low costs and ability to offer services to many users.  Even though this site did not provide a great amount of information about cloud computing, I became more interested about the subject of cloud computing after reading this article, and how cloud computing can affect the future of the Internet.     

Explaining Cloud Computing

I think that this video provided better general explanations of the basic aspects of cloud computing, and how it is becoming increasingly more relevant to the Internet and its users.  Since sites such as Google and Amazon are applying cloud computing effectively, one may wonder how many other online sites and businesses can effectively apply different aspects of cloud computing to their web services.  Since sites such as Google and Amazon are capable of competing with software providers such as Microsoft, it could be that the competition between these companies can help to increase the efficiency and variations of the cloud computing services offered by these different businesses.  If cloud computing were to become more popular in the future, then the capabilities of Internet sites could allow for cloud computing technologies to improve the general effectiveness of Internet technology. 

The Future of Libraries: Beginning the Great Transformation

I enjoyed reading this article, because of its speculation of the history of information, and how information could be perceived in the future.  Considering the processes that had to occur to distribute information throughout society during the 15^th through the 19^th centuries, one may wonder how much the processes will change to distribute information from the present through the next four centuries.  How libraries will respond to these new developments in information technology could be a cause for concern for many involved in the subject of library and information science.  I think that this article addressed the needs of libraries to adapt to the future of information well, because it offered specific recommendations for libraries, such as how libraries should consider offering podcast stations, as well as a guest lecture series on new technologies.  Regarding the transition of libraries from a center of information to a center of culture, I think it would be very interesting to witness such a transition in one’s life, if libraries were to develop a greater presence in society, so more individuals could rely upon libraries for a source of more cultural information.