Welcome to Tech Torture with Topher

This should be interesting; good luck!

Doesn't a browser count as a desktop application?

Good luck to you! I'd say I spend about 85% of my time in the cloud... online banking, Gmail, Google Docs, and a blog (50,000 readers and growing). It can be done... you just have to know where your WiFi locations are when you travel.

Looking forward to your posts.

Can't wait to see this. Tutorial to getting out of the house while doing work. Good call.

Good luck with that! I have severe misgivings about cloud computing for serious purposes. It's one thing to post/view pictures, or check email, or stream multimedia... it's another thing entirely when your business depends on an outside source... and more importantly, ACCESS to that outside source.

One of the touted advantages to cloud computing is that no longer does one need to have local hardware. Backups are handled at the 3rd party provider, as are upgrades, maintenance, patches, etc etc. That's all fine and good until the communications line at YOUR end goes down for whatever reason. Now your entire company is dead in the water. You might as well send everyone home, because for all intents and purposes, that office has just turned into an empty warehouse with some chairs and people sitting around looking at blank screens.

"True," one might say, "but come on, how often does that REALLY happen?" Depending on the business, it can take only one outage to cause millions of dollars of lost productivity, if not lost business due to customers going elsewhere for their business. Add VOIP to the mix, and now you can't even CALL anyone, or get calls from customers. An telecomm outage is almost as bad as a complete power failure... but old analog phones still work during power outages.

I work for an organization that hasn't quite gone to cloud computing, but has moved much of its infrastructure to a geographically centralized location, so offices around the country all talk to it for many tasks. Thankfully, not everything (yet)... but we have had outages, either due to communications lines failing, or the central location itself having problems. Those times generally wind up being wasted money on an epic scale, because of everyone sitting around twiddling their thumbs. At least they can stick a CD into their PCs though and listen to music, something you won't be able to do with a network appliance designed for cloud computing.

We got away from mainframes in the 80's for a reason. One wonders if the current generation of tech gurus didn't learn their history well.

Will you be detailing all of the tools you utilize to stay in the clouds? Which one's were great or a major pain?

A few more things for you – suggestions, really – that I've found useful with my new netbook:

1. Panda Cloud Antivirus

2. Moxy.com (online file storage – $5.00/month for unlimited storage!)

3. http://www.doodle.com – scheduling/event planning

4. Google Calendar with text-message reminders turned to ON.

5. http://www.casualcollective.com – online games, no software to install

Good Luck, will be nice to see how it works out.

Work is force times distance, would be interested to hear your
definition of work.

Good luck Topher!

I thought you were going to give my kids the latest gadgets and see how they hold up. Tech torture!!

What happens when you arrive at that computer you plan to use somewhere in the world and are counting on meeting a deadline, when oh no, the internet is down or the software version is just abit different when running on that type of computer....you miss your deadline. Having a computer you know with predictable software, internet conection would make me alot more comfortable when deadlines approach and the smallest hitch turns into a nightmare.

Wow – I've been trying to move toward this idea for some time, but didn't know it had a name nor really that others were doing it! I can't wait to follow your progress

Good luck!
I believe people prefer ownership, not borrowing or subscribing.
I also believe – contrary to the available evidence of people who give away their bank accounts to Nigerians – that people *are* concerned with privacy.
And I also believe people will continue to use old software rather than update to the newst version.

Given these three things I see no end of desktop applications.

History could prove me wrong, but I do believe the future of coud computing looks a bit hazy (I couldn't resist!)

Good luck! I myself just moved to the cloud and am having good success. I am running Google Apps and have my Gmail messaging and calendaring sent directly to my Blackberry. I have also tethered my phone to my netbook when I can't find a location with free WIFI.

Tech Torture is my normal day-to-day abuse of my (Linux) operating system.

The cloud is interesting, but this blog is not. It can be done – but it would be pointless. I can pick my nose with my tongue stud too – but that doesn't mean it serves a purpose.

I've been doing this for about 18 months. Case, Power cords, ThinkPad, Mac Book, and a Verizon card. I can program anywhere I can find a place to sit. My favorite place is on the porch on beautiful Spring days like this one. So, "Caution!", Topher. It's pretty addictive and highly enjoyable.

Hehe they made you do it eh? Well this should prove to be interesting. Good luck making the transition.

Let's see, for the basics you really need email, a word processor/text editor, spreadsheet and presentation tools, calendar and contact management, password safe(maybe?), chat client, pdf viewer...

That's what I used most often every day, aside from VMware Fusion and ssh.

-Lawrence

This goes along with the whole idea of netbooks. If you can do a large percentage of your work online then a lot of it can be done through a netbook, which frees you from having to lug around a notebook computer, or work from any one location. Of course, it's easier to work with a large screen, full-size keyboard, and a mouse, but I'd like to try to see what it's like to work wherever I want through a browser.

Hi Topher,

It sounds like a fun assignment.
I recently interviewed with a tech company that specializes in getting apps to run on the cloud. It seems to be the natural evolution of software.

We have all been on the cloud for a long time with salesforce.com and email and HR Block. It will be interesting to see if Enterprise level apps will make the leap.

Good luck!

Steve in Chicago

Regarding online backup, I also tried mozy, but found this one better, less hassle: http://www.abacusbackups.com

So after all these years.. we have come back to... dumb terminals?

It is amazing how often the future looks like the past. And of course in a few years all those short memories about why we left that setup will start flooding back.

Let be serious here! First I like to know whom you work for and how comes you and CNN just getting to know about this. Working remotely had been there and available for years now. I am not talking about VPN login, I am talking about being able to access documents, edit them, schedule and meet on-line and even printing your document on any version like Microsoft word from anywhere in the world as long as there is a PC and printer available. You can also have internet storage and now they are unlimited. I do this in Africa what are you talking about and to make the matter worse you are in US??? I even manage to meet client using foreign language just by using available language conversion available on line for free……..please. this embarrassing
Yes I mean you do not need to install or load any program on any PC anywhere all what you need is internet access and printer if you need to print any document and that PC have DO version

IMO pure cloud computing is not ripe quite yet...I would give it another year.

The better solution right now is the great free (really free!) software you can download. I use Foxfire for a browser...5 times faster page loads then Explorer. I use OpenOffice for word processing, spreadsheets, etc. It works way better than Microsoft Office...I was really surprised. In addition to cellphone, I use Skype for telephone...I pay a few dollars a month so I can talk to telephones with my netbook...the quality of the call is better than "landline".

I don't have a lot of work files and the handful of documents, etc. I need are kept in my gmail account as well as my hard-drive. This way, if my $300 netbook craps out, I buy another and re-download the free software, my few files, and I am back in action.

Result: I can do my job pretty much anywhere in the world...physical location has almost no meaning anymore...................

try gopc.net for a cloud based desktop accessible from any computer

jungledisk.com allows you to keep all your files online – accessible from a usb flash app

Should be a fun experiment....See if they can do anything about the fluorescent lighting behind you arrrrhhhh....

Wow... I'm sure you'll be able to do it, but I hope it doesn't feel like pulling teeth. I'll be interested to know what apps you decide to use, and which ones made the process easier or harder.

All the issues raised here are valid, but not insurmountable. Cloud computing, or some hybrid, will come. I recently purchased a netbook and am trying to use as few onboard apps as possible. Not completely in the cloud, but fairly close. As an experiment, I recently left my work laptop at the office and took only my netbook to a meeting. I was able to access everything I needed either on the Internet or by remote desktop back to my office. Going through airports with only a netbook was positively exhilirating. Of course had there not been easy Internet access I would have been screwed.

I'm hooked already! go for it!

You might want to read Greg Ferro's blog post on cloud computing and The Vista Effect at http://etherealmind.com/2009/03/22/risk-to-cloud-computing/. He talks about the effect all of the cloud failures will have on adoption. Hope your experiences are better than his. MIne have been a mix. There are many cloud apps that I can't do without and really need to access from anywhere. There are other more complex tasks that require more computing horsepower and tax the resources of the cloud. Either way, I think we can all agree than the cloud needs to evolve to deliver greater performance, availability and security.

Pam O'Neal
http://www.breakingpointlabs.com

Gosh, aren't we right back into the 60's? A mainframe computer and dummy terminals. Except the screens have color now.

What is this a joke?

I've been doing this for years now. What's so special about this?

Yep, you are correct. I am cheating a little by using a Web browser and then saying I want to be 100 percent in clouds and not use desktop-based apps. I see no way around it, do you?

I've been saying that for years.
Cloud computing is definitely the future of computing.
All you have to do is look at the teenagers on the street today.
Everything they do is on their smartphones.
There is no way they will accept being tethered to a desktop
computer when they enter the workforce.

I will. Look for something soon on what tools I am using.

Cloud computing is more than just working remotely and logging into your data. It is huge when it comes to large companies that need instant bandwidth, scalability and computing power – cloud computing can scale up and down by having a huge amount of virtual machines carry your load.

I think a key challenge. When you work for an organization you often have secure data of some sort. That data often cannot be shared externally, e.g via the cloud unless the whole company agrees that is ok. You end up with VPN clients to access the target company's internal application solutions (wiki, mail, filestores, etc...). How would this play? The browser would need a vpn plugin, maybe you keep the vpn client on your USB key. For personal and family and other groups, this seems a much easier solution.

I predict you will be 90% successful – I keep most of my docs and bookmarks online. My biggest fall from "cloud" comes when I have to access one out of a million photos archived on my external HD to send out as an e-mail attachment. I'm curious to know how often that sort of archive retrieval scenario will play out in your Cloudy days! Good luck!

Please try not to use the low angle shot we see today. You are backlit by the ceiling lights and the effect of the angle is to make viewers feel like they're sitting in a hole.

Glide OS is useful. The Glide email program has many features that Gmail does not have and GlideOS is ad free. I also use Glide sync to keep my documents in sync on my office and home computers and to access all of my files from my iPhone.

Glide OS: http://www.glideos.com
Glide Mobile: http://www.glidemobile.com

Puh-leeeze! I've been working in the cloud for years. I sell software, but I'm not a real techie. Cloud-Living is not only doable, it is what we will ALL be doing in the next few years. Companies will be virtualizing everything – all applications. Count on it! Give me a wi-fi connection and a browser and I'll do all my business and personal computerized tasks. No client software needed.

Yea won't be doing that again.

There simply isn't enough horsepower in a cloud for work other than your basic communication and word processing. Ok for your average user, not ok for a power user where timing and horsepower matter.

I guess main frame computers with dummy terminals is making a come back, But this time they are high speed.

Your data's only as secure as the server it's on, and I don't trust any server I can't touch. That's why I don't do online banking or buy things off the Internet. You can't get scammed from your email if you don't do them. I can't count the number of times PayPal has suspended me, eBay has suspended me, and various banks I've never heard of have had a problem with my account. I know they can be safely ignored and deleted, because I don't have accounts with any of them.

Storing data online? You've got to be kidding. That's what CDs and flash drives are for.

I don't think half of the people here actually know what "Cloud Computing" is.

The "dummy terminal" analogy is correct.

In essence you'd have just an internet connection, some heavy ram and a processor.

Then it might get whittled down to just a screen.

It will take a few years, an always on connection for every device, so that there will be no "offline" component at all.

However I would see this primarily for certain consumers(the email and occasional internet), other people still might use "old fashion" computers, programmers and such.

I just don't see certain programs in "the cloud."

Cloud computing has it's benefits and drawbacks. If your work is such that you can get away with it, it's a great thing. But what happens to your important document when the storage company up and folks, and you no longer can access their site? I have seen that happen before. I rather keep my documents in places where I ultimately own the storage. That would be my own CD-ROMs or external backup hard drives or flash drives. These options are not as expensive as they used to be so it's more feasible. Some kind of physical local backup should be done to reduce risk of loss of mission critical data. Especially if one is using cloud computing almost exclusively.

This is stupid as hell. Many people and I have been doing this for a long time. Just because you're naive and just thought of this idea doesn't mean you are the first. You've already missed the bus.

All I have to say is good luck. But it’s really awesome that your going to try everything online. Just one thing. Don’t put any personal data because its not as secure as you think it is. Don’t trust the server. That’s all I have to say. There might be someone reading this blog and trying to mess with what your trying to do. I can’t wait to see how everything went. But what your trying to do is very possible and very likely to work because I have done many things like that too. I have a lot of information stored online and the only reason why its like that is because I dont have to carry papers around all day. I have my information that I need saved in one computer just in case anything happens. But what your trying to do is going to work. Its not as difficult as it might seem. The hardest part is going to not use any desktop information. But one thing is to worry about is doing everything secure. All I have to say is good luck and wish you the best on the clouds. And once you visit the cloud nine, let us know what really happened……. Good luck.

Regardless of the pros and cons of the cloud, what will be interesting is how the future of the Internet will take shape (or not) around this. Because we thrive on convenience and usability, it would seem the cloud will be a great tool in the Web toolbox. Like all other emerging technologies, however, it will take quite some time before the true utility of the cloud comes to full fruition as we will have to wait for those late-adopters to standardize what the early-adopters will have already been doing for so long. Too bad Google Wave isn't out yet.

we have considered changing everything we do at http://www.rev2.org to clouds! We started with the hosting, and soon will switch to all google doc stuff

Should be interesting, I think you'll finish with a renewed appreciation for real life.

it would be awesome if you had a WEB-PAD to show off how useful they can be in a CLOUD world ! streaming content and multi-media and communications

This would be the most miserable thing I could think of to do if I really wanted to complicate my life.

Better idea.....work smarter not harder....put everything on a home desktop computer....then go and get a free account at http://www.logmein.com......as long as you have an internet connection you will be able to get connected to your home computer and use everything just like you were sitting there...from ANYWHERE on the planet!!

I mean c'mon do you really have time at your job to do this and make an editorial that will no doubt document tons of wasted time while you sign up for all these different things you will need and try to keep track of it all? If you do then unless your job in working for CNN to write this lame article you should be fired for wasting company time and for just generally being inefficient....

I think that the people are ready for cloud computing but the infrastructure is not. The internet bandwidth is getting stretched to the limit as it is. With all the content available online right now, if everybody would hop on the cloud computing wagon I'm afraid the internet would slow down drastically.the servers and line connections won't handle it.

And the BIGGEST QUESTION OF ALL: If your documents are on a server somewhere around the world, are these documents still 100% your property?

With a 30+ year background in the computer industry providing tech support, I am vastly amused that the idea of putting all your eggs in a single basket that you have no control over is once again being put forth as the "Next Big Thing". What a laugh!

Yes, you can make it work, even work well, for a while – until something goes wrong. And something always goes wrong.

Then all your data is either temporarily unavailable, damaged, stolen or just gone, and then the finger pointing starts.

Seen it over and over again. People never learn and I make lots of money cleaning up behind them.

Got to love the combination of optimism and stupidity!

The term "Dumb Terminal" more closely describes the user than the machine.

He never said cloud computing was new... some very rude people commenting here.

Yay – some of you have been doing this for years and are super-techs, but for the rest of us, this is a fairly new thing... especially those of us who are freelancers and NOT hanging out in server rooms during our off hours.

Who owns data in the cloud? There was a big stink recently with facebook and a change to their EULA where they just said something along the lines of 'we own what you write'. The wording changed after the public stormed the gates.

In theory the cloud is a pretty cool concept, but until the law catches up with technology I wouldn't use it to store anything sensitive or personal.

JIMK – LOL who said anyone was "hanging out in server rooms during our off hours?"

Because in order to have basic common sense, you'd have to be "hanging out in server rooms during our off hours."

@Sara, nice try, but he mentions the browser issue.
"as long as it has Internet access and a browser."

I look forward to your continued reporting on this. I do most of my work and much of my computer socializing in "the cloud" and have done it with some success. I run a small high tech consultancy and use several different computers to do that and am very mobile. The only thing I do on a desktop PC that I can't do elsewhere is run some financial programs, and I might one day switch to the cloud versions of them.

Cheers,
Bob Gourley
http://ctovision.com

JimK and others .. the point wasn't that I have had a lot of experience with the flaws behind what is now called 'Cloud Computing' – the point is that you have NO control over your data nor over your access to it.

You don't need to be computer geek to understand that putting all your eggs (data) in one basket (server) when you don't control that basket (server) nor even know where it is located, is a stupid idea that is going to hurt a lot of people and companies. This is a hackers wet dream!

Bad idea. Bad idea. Bad idea.

"I will be able to sit at any computer in the world"

Gee, with a potentially mutating H1N1 this fall, let me work on that same keyboard that other slobs have coughed and sneezed on before I got there! Besides, unless you are doing mega travelling and can't stomach the thought of toting around a whopping 3 to 4 lb laptop, I don't see the point. The cloud is great for storage, but trusting my core business with it? Not on your life.

A browser is only a "desktop" application if it's on a desktop... He should have to use only an iphone or blackberry – forget this "desktop" and "20 inch monitor" and "keyboard" thing... Oh.. and the phone he uses can't have a QWERTY keyboard – just the numbers

I'd like to know how you edited that video without using a desktop app.

I think all of you that are making comments about central servers, and "dumb" clients are missing the point of cloud computing. Cloud computing isn't about "central servers"... it's about decentralized servers, with a centralized access point. It's not about "dumb terminals" per se... it's about using ANY terminal that you have available.

There are many pro's regarding cloud computing... redundancy, abstraction, flexibility.

And those of you that say it won't work because sooner or later the connection will go down, and then... all hell will break loose. I just want to know... where do YOU work? Because everywhere I've worked, all hell broke loose the moment the Internet went down... and we all had desktop apps! Face it... Internet connectivity is critical in just about every environment now – so using the cloud doesn't add much risk at this point.

The thin client and cloud based networks of today are a far cry from those of the 60's. Just take a look at LTSP if you want to see some of what can be done with these networks. Cloud-based applications and thin client networking could drive computing costs way down for hardware intensive environments such as schools. I know of one organizaton that is getting ready to roll out just such a program, recycling legacy computers from business and government, getting a local tech school to outfit them with open source software, and deploying them to schools as thin client networks for a tiny fraction of the cost of a traditional lab. The more apps move to the cloud, the more capability these systems will have.

Good luck to you! I am looking forward to your updates.

Tyler it was all done in one take, no edit at all.

Emerson hit the nail on the head. The cloud isn't the problem – it's our connection to the cloud that's worrisome. For 2 reasons:
(1) reliability – we might not always have a connection;
(2) efficiency – the connection isn't always fast enough.

Our school has had local databases and lots of LAN file storage for many years. Now over the past 2 years we have "migrated" to web-hosted databases. We still have lots of files stored locally, but that will slowly move up into the cloud. I have my grade-book stored on Google Docs. We use e-mail as a mainstay for transferring data files and coordinating work. We have our entire curriculum on a server in another continent.

That's all fine, until something goes wrong with our Internet connection. Recently some piece of software started sending bad packets into our ISP's router. We don't even know whether it came from our school, but it took 48 hours to track down the problem and kill millions of packets that were going out and being sent back. The connection still "worked" during that time, but so slowly that it was basically hopeless. A week later the proxy-server had some sort of memory corruption and stopped working for about 20% of web-sites – the rest worked slowly, but OK. I wouldn't claim that we have "state-of-the-art" hardware and systems software, but it's not bad. We still have about a TeraByte of photographs stored locally, including student photos that appear every time we take attendance. As long as they are stored on the LAN, we can always take attendance.

The good news is, in a school you can still teach classes without a computer, so we can tolerate a week of problems by just turning the computers off. However, I don't think other businesses are that lucky. Until there are some Quality-Of-Service guarantees, or clearer and more reliable system standards, I don't think a real business can afford to throw all their eggs into the cloud basket.

In any case, good luck with the experiment.

Thanks for screaming in the microphone at the start.

make sure to get a world of warcraft account.

I can give you a 3Tera Applogic playground to play with if you like. Would love to see what you think.

I'm interested to see what happens, too. I'm an educator, and I'm learning how to use the Internet applications for daily work and play.

"Cloud computing" is still a tech term used by the minority, but there is a growing trend towards web based tools. For instance, contractors who sign up for this cool little tool (www.builditsystems.com) can run their webmail, web faxing, text messaging, file storage and sharing, calendar, schedules and the list goes on. The beauty of such apps is not being tied to one computer. Take a vacation, find a computer connected to the Internet, and (if your spouse let's you!) you're in business, can check up on your employees, and deal with priority situations... then get back to your hot sand therapy.

10 years from now, imagine the landscape of web based apps available for Joe Q Public. Mind boggling.

whats the big deal?!?!

been living in the clouds for 3 years never a prob

Thanks Bill for posting the most rational comment on this whole page. So the cloud is fundamentally different from the mainframe model. Until you get that, any comments made on this topic will be just so much hot air. Sure something will always go wrong, but when it does you have way more options in the cloud than in any other model. The real issues are around privacy and data security, where again you will probably find that cloud storage is actually more secure and private than most LAN's.

It is always amusing how when faced with change, we expect the new system to achieve standards way higher than the old one ever did, and when it can't, write it off even though it offers many advantages and improvements.

Does that include a web based VPN connection to the CNN offices, as is becoming relatively common for large businesses?

If so... although it's a cool idea, I think it's kind of a given that you'll be just fine. Good luck anyhow!

Despite people's misgivings... cloud computing is pretty safe. The paranoia that exists is perpetuated by software security companies to sell product. As long as you don't do something stupid, like putting in your credit card number on an unfamiliar website, or submitting your personal information to that same unfamiliar website, you're relatively secure. NONE of the companies that offer services related to cloud computing want to be involved with any data security breaches... it's bad business for them.

Even Microsoft has talked about a Windows model that involves cloud computing... you buy a little 50 dollar box with a keyboard and mouse, and for a monthly fee, connect to 'Windows Online' via a broadband connection.

Cloud computing will undoubtedly be the future of business, and possibly homes as well... as it's cheaper, and easier for customers to access, and requires no maintenance on their part. It's already started with Microsofts new virtualization technology.

Driver updates are a non issue. Software conflicts become a non issue, and numerous other problems that people have with their PC's and Macs (Yes... Macs have problems too, contrary to popular belief.) are solved by letting a 3rd party maintain the hardware, and software involved.

The only stumbling block is processing power at this point, particularly when looking at processing heavy apps, like games, 3D Modeling, and CAD software. However, if the processing gets up to speed, and you're able to use these on a thin client/cloud network, it will be excellent for people like students to be able to use the software they're learning about via a Windows/Mac 'snap in' program that they 'rent'.

Hopefully, your week in the clouds will convince more people how much easier, cheaper, and secure cloud computing really is.

Topher,
Your a little behind me here, i bothered to store my manuscript on the Denver Post . com somment section, bekieve me it works great, their service even catagories, the type of notes and info I keep. It has been pssible to do the news this way for years, and you can keep world wide records in storage anywhere.

Topher, I can even keep info within the banking on line services, blogs allow you to have your work located under any type of business and their e-mail systems store it for you the larger the system the easier the access for common work and it results are often then close at hand. Your only trouble is getting somewhere without your laptop or blackberry. Huge libaraies exist and it is like have gov. files on everything. and they are often self filing pieces and less in the clouds then you think. You can even get then opinionated.

A its simplest, cloud computing is a means for distributing data and often the processing of that data on more than one computer. The distribution and actual computers used are transparent to the user.

I think what you are doing is using hosted software, processing and data model, which may or may not be implemented using a cloud computing architecture. Many people here seem to be confused about this.

So the topic of this blog should actually be whether someone such as yourself can get all their work done using only hosted software and data, which is certainly an interesting topic. Whether the software and data are in a "cloud" is irrelevant to this particular blog and in fact may not be true for all types of software that you are using.

What is your twitter name so we can follow you?

Always fun to sit back and watch the latest how-can-we-burn-through-more-cash fad. The consultants and cloud-service-provides are all rooting for you, old bean. Have at it.

This will work. I have been doing this for 2 years now. Only difference is I introduced my iPhone (mobile) into the mix last year, since it provides a better access point than a laptop and is much easier to be mobile and truly cloud living. Desktop has bee dead. There is no reason for a desktop OS, unless there is a specific application that has not yet been converted to the cloud.

I work online too and I really like my transcription job, but the main problem with it is loneliness. There's someone at the other end of MSN who assigns my tasks, but I miss seeing other people on a daily basis. There's a lot to be said in favor of comrades-in-arms–except for people I don't get along with, of course. I almost always get along with me.

I see that some people are concerned about outages and availability in the cloud. You have to check out ZeroNines, their technology overcomes all of these issues and is the holy grail to enable cloud communications to thrive. You will be hearing more and more about them.

Although where I work isnt techinically "cloud computing" I can techinically do everything I do at work, at home.

The system we use for our "orders" is web based, so if im at home sick and really need to process an order or invoice a customer, or approve a supplier invoice. I can do all that while sick in my bed.

Or if there's an urgent email I need to respond to, same thing.

The only sticking point for me is the people who run our company, they dont like the idea of people "working" where they cant see them. In theory, I could do spend 4 days a week at home, and come in 1 day a week to take care of anything that couldnt be resolved from home (which would be minimal).

It's getting the bosses to feel comfortable about you working at home, where you could just as easily be watching tv. I guess as long as the work gets done and is done well, thats all that should matter...but I can't even get my boss i work for to learn how to attach a document in his email...so getting him to believe I can work effectively from home is not ever going to happen.

I dont see how you'd have a problem doing this unless your job requires hands on with your co-workers/employees. I work in IT and 95% of my job can be done remotely with logmein.

Cloud computing has been fabulous for this non-profit organization I have that is dependent on volunteer work. It saves on buying hardware, software and training. It encourages volunteer work on numerous small projects at their homes that are not "destination worthy" enough for them to drive into our office to do on our desktops. Newsletters become e-newsletters, file cabinents become web accessable for multiple users. Scheduling meetings is a breeze. I now try to base all organization work for new groups I start in the cloud.

Good luck, it should be interesting. I'm looking into using LotusLive from IBM (http://www.lotuslive.com), maybe you can give me some good pointers. Thanks

this can be done. i already pretty much do it, except i haven't found a good online option for image editing. i still have to use Photoshop to do hi-res image work. AND i need Notepad 2 or Taco or some other html editor equivalent for converting content to plain text before i copy and paste it other places... haven't found a good online option for that task either. and audio editing too, of course. okay, so maybe i don't live in a cloud. but i've got one foot in and one foot out. any emailing, documentation, writing, spreadsheeting, etc can be done online easily. media stuff, on the other hand, tends to need a desktop application.

Dear RI.

Good Luck,

look forward to the rest of your segments.

Does anyone else get sick of working at the same physical location day after day, but you dont want to leave the company?

How many jobs out there would let you work remotely like this?

It's funny to read all these posts about the security of your data and those of you who think that having your email (or whatever else) on your office server which has an internet connection, is more secure than, say for example Google's servers. Just a thought here – I don't know what your company's budget is for data security (unless you're HP or something), but I would imagine that it's not in the millions of dollars. If I am a hacker, it would be much easier for me to grab data off your server, than trying to get through to a major bank, or a Google.

Cloud computing has been around for quite a while – everything will eventually go there in some capacity. With internet architecture getting better and better, it's just a natural progression to move company apps to the web. Better security, faster deployment.

OK, 24 hours in, and no blog posts. Is this guy bad at posting, or am I not finding the actual blog.

There is a new post on the way, and then this afternoon (EST) is 24 hours for me and will post a Day 1 review.

I don't think this should be an issue, many of us work remotely and work through the cloud.

I recently moved "My Documents" into a MS live mesh folder, which is working great and gets synch-ed to the cloud and other computers. You also get 5gb of space with this.

Good luck...

I dont understand why people put so much faith into computers. I am sys admin and I am baffled by this. While computers are my bread and butter, I resist putting all my eggs into one basket. Technology is only as good as the human that created it. Errors and mistakes are sure to happen, and usually at the most un-opportune time. You have a brain that is by far, more superior than any computer could ever be or will be. Lets start using our brains more than what we do now and quit relying on technology to solve our problems. Technology is great when used properly, not to replace human interaction and to take care of things that people are just too lazy to do their self.

Hi topher...

You spoke about online storeage. Well I think it all depends on how much you want to store.
goto http://www.mochahost.com

for less than $10 a month you can get infinit storeage, website, email and a lot of other stuff.

Or for storage you can get a 1.5 terrabyte drive for $120 external.
Not so expensive anymore.

Nice job, Topher. Now the only else you have to worry about is steady broadband connection. Go AIA. I'm soooo glad I'm out of there!

Topher -

Cloud computing seems really cool and all, but are'nt there any concerns about security of data and having data living somewhere else. It seems cool but also scary. Your thoughts. Thanks

Great Webpage, Thx! Keep up the great work.