Some time ago in this blog I wrote an article about the trend in computer sales: the sales of laptops have overtaken sales of desktops. This has happened because of the falling prices, people’s desire to be more mobile and the rise of the Internet availability and speed.
The latter gave way to the unheard before Internet applications i.e. applications that carry out a normal task but run not from the computer itself but on the Internet.
Let’s take a document text processor for example. There are plenty around, which can be installed on the computer and can be used by a computer user to create and edit the documents of various formats. These include Microsoft Word (a part of Microsoft Office), Writer (a part of Open Office), Word Pad, Notebook and so on. At the same time, it is now possible to edit a text document online. This is how it works. You open a page on the website with the embedded text editor, create (type in or paste and then edit) a document and then save it - also online - somewhere on the server.
The safe storage is guaranteed by the text editor provider, which means that your document will be store securely - no one else but you will have access to it - and also the document will never be lost because of the existing network of backup servers, which duplicate the data and restore it should something go wrong with the main storage. The example of such a solution is Google Apps, which includes a text, spreadsheet and presentation editor just like Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint, an email, a calendar, a website creator tool and many more little bits and pieces. All this comes with the safe data storage guarantee. One can choose between a free standard edition and a business edition.
There are no doubts that Google Apps is a good thing because it allows flexibility and choice. People can now choose between the online storage and the local pc or laptop storage, online editing and local pc or laptop editing. For those who travel a lot and have access to the Internet everywhere, Google Apps is the way to go. A word of warning though: if you are a terrorist, don’t bother using the Google’s online service because I have no doubts that CIA and FBI have access to all the stored information including documents and emails, so your terrorist plans will immediately be uncovered. But if you are a normal and regular guy or girl, CIA and FBI generally have no interest in you, so go ahead and use the service.
This article would not be complete if I don’t mention all the pros and cons of the online applications.
Pros 1: Unlimited access from anywhere around the globe and from any computer. There’s only one condition: the Internet connection, and it doesn’t even need to be a speedy one for the document editing and emailing.
Pros 2: The document security and safe storage forever and ever and ever. If your computer breaks down, all your files will still be available to you because they are stored online.
Pros 3: Easy share at the click of a button. Don’t need to send the documents and share them somewhere else because they are already on the web.
Pros 4: Locally edited documents can be uploaded and dowloaded to be used by an online service.
Cons 1: The Internet access should be present in order to access the documents. This is why if the Internet if off, the online services are useless.
Cons 2: Local editing still provides more functionality and will probably provide more functionality in the near future. It still provides more resources and possibilities. Online applications are limited to what browsers can do. No manipulations from outside of an online editor is possible - you will need to download a file and edit it locally.
Cons 3: Just from the human point of view, files on the local pc seem more accessible than on the Internet. But this perspective can change.
Cons 4: In order to move on to music, image and video internet editing and sharing, a very fast Internet access will be required, which is not yet widely accessible wirelessly and around the world.
In the presence of so many disadvantages, going half-way seem to be the best solution at the moment. Keeping all the files locally and some of them temporary on the Internet for editing and quick access is a good idea. This way, more and more files will end up in an online storage but the carbon copy will still be found on your local pc or laptop. When technology advance and the Internet becomes the true part of our lives, it will be possible to trust it without reservations, you’ll a netbook and fully immerse yourself online.
January 28th, 2009 - 1:15 pm
In the recent climate, especially in the UK where even our own Goverment can’t keep electronic documents safe, how can anyone feel secure placing their files on remote servers.
Is anything safe, don’t bet on it. Destroy any old storage media before throwing it away, you just never know who will be picking it up. Use safe delete software, etc and get in the routine of “cleaning” your storage.
On the flip side, how easy it is to move around the globe and access your files from anywhere, just as though you are sat in front of your terminal.
February 13th, 2009 - 6:42 am
I have to agree with Steve, there are no sure ways of keeping data safe or secure. Having served in the U.S. military for 26 years, I can assure you that security is a big task and responsibility. Although we have many safeguards in place, there is always that chance that something will be compromised. The only total solution is destruction of the device.
February 22nd, 2009 - 5:54 am
safe document box or something like that is a real hard thing in the rapidly development of Hacking tool so as tony says the only way is to destroy the device.