Cloud computing and Skynet

Let me be the first to say here that mankind is going to regret this march into cloud computing. After seeing the Terminator movies are not people even a little scared by the thought? It may be in a fantasy movie but the concept is real enough and the government is crazy enough to take advantage of it.

To me the scary part is that the concept of cloud computing has been around since the beginning of the computer age so it's roots are symbiotic to the digital age itself. I'm not an anti-technologist or a Luddite by any definition (I mean I am here tying this on a computer) but it surprises me none the less.

Cloud computing does have some good points (if I'm understanding what I've read about it lately correctly)...

No user software installation, not being tied to one particular platform or application, being able to access all sorts of computing resources from the 'cloud' (I need to do a little more research on how you can purchase processor power, that just seems sort of far fetched to me :shock: ).

Big game players like Microsoft will have to think of something quick I think, if this does come to pass mainstream. Seems it would sort of level the playing field, Microsoft won't have the monopoly on almost everything anymore.

There already are a couple 'cloud computing' applications out there; for example Google Docs where you can work on documents on line without worrying about having a word program on your computer. Others can view the documents without also having to worry about having the right word program on their computer. I think another one is Zoho.com .

The problem I have with it all is (from what I'm getting from it) the fact that private information will be more readily available.

ok i'm an idiot. could you put that into laymens terms for those of us who's birthstone is Lava? i saw the terminator and realistically it is a scary concept. hell i got nervous a while ago when i read an article about someone creating some sort of memory that used human brain cells for artificial memory. i'm computer literate enough to use my desktop, but not techie enough to know the real ins and outs.

Remember in the movies computers took over all the machines? Well, the software which made that possible was called "Skynet." The backstory was that Skynet is not your normal operating system (aka OS) (which typically resides in a stand alone, er ah, box (like the desktop you might be using to surf the web right now). Instead, it was an OS which resides in the net and does not rely on hardware. It is like bots or a virus, code which is instructed to act on it's own doing whatever it was meant to do. Once it is released to the net, it just goes on it's merry way with out any intervention, with out any operator input. Sort of an artificial intelligence operative. Ok, so one of the goals of programmers is the holy grail of autonomous artificial intelligence. Pat your computer data packet on the rear and say "bye-bye" go out into the world and learn and grow and make your mark in the world. Skynet was released from the control of the military operations center into the net to operate autonomously. They were gambling on it's ability to find a fault in the system once it was set free. Instead it made a tiny error and decided to eliminate mankind. Something like that.

As efficient as cloud computing may turn out to be, I don't think we should go down that path which will inevitably lead to AI controlling our lives and with too much possibility of clandestine gov't or military interference and manipulation.

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Originally Posted by cyber3d

Remember in the movies computers took over all the machines? Well, the software which made that possible was called "Skynet." The backstory was that Skynet is not your normal operating system (aka OS) (which typically resides in a stand alone, er ah, box (like the desktop you might be using to surf the web right now). Instead, it was an OS which resides in the net and does not rely on hardware. It is like bots or a virus, code which is instructed to act on it's own doing whatever it was meant to do. Once it is released to the net, it just goes on it's merry way with out any intervention, with out any operator input. Sort of an artificial intelligence operative. Ok, so one of the goals of programmers is the holy grail of autonomous artificial intelligence. Pat your computer data packet on the rear and say "bye-bye" go out into the world and learn and grow and make your mark in the world. Skynet was released from the control of the military operations center into the net to operate autonomously. They were gambling on it's ability to find a fault in the system once it was set free. Instead it made a tiny error and decided to eliminate mankind. Something like that.

As efficient as cloud computing may turn out to be, I don't think we should go down that path which will inevitably lead to AI controlling our lives and with too much possibility of clandestine gov't or military interference and manipulation.

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Terminator...I Am Robot...Eagle Eye...

wow, i do remember that storyline in terminator. thats some scary crap and i dont think that i would want a computer or anything else deciding whats best for us.

Code is just that, code. It is conditional and cannot think for itself. It can only do what it is told by the programmer. If..Then...Else.. or Do..while..etc... it has paramaters. Of course it can "learn" information, but that is a program or code too, which is govened by the programmer...so don't worry about skynet getting smart and wiping out the humans, or the matrix...but mozart's ghost, that is a different story....

How do you know you are not in the matrix right now? :lol:

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Originally Posted by petrified.rabbit

How do you know you are not in the matrix right now? :lol:

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CAUSE I DIDNT TAKE THE RED PILL, OR WAS IT THE BLUE ONE? OOPS!! I'M HOSED!!

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Originally Posted by NYChevoo

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Originally Posted by petrified.rabbit

How do you know you are not in the matrix right now? :lol:

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CAUSE I DIDNT TAKE THE RED PILL, OR WAS IT THE BLUE ONE? OOPS!! I'M HOSED!!

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:lol:

WOW... Conspiracy theory much?

Cloud Computing is just a term for having your programs run from a different location. Gmail, Hotmail, even MySpace can be considered cloud computing. This is not much different than using a "dumb" terminal with RDP or Remote desktop. Basically you still need memory, a processor, keyboard, etc... on your local machine... everything but the hard drive. Those programs are still being run, the difference is they are run on a central server somewhere... this is no different than accessing this page.

Why would this make you nervous? I don't see the leap from writing emails or entering stuff into web based programs such as a shipping page for FEDEX and robots taking over the world. Your argument is based on a Slipper Slope (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slippery_slope) fallacy (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fallacy) and is just that...

I would like to read your response though.

My position is that the ultimate destination we are likely to head towards is impossible to safe guard not only our personal data but our own freedom from "big brother." But, don't even you think it is a bit odd that only a handful of people on the net make any connection between Skynet (movie) and cloud computing? I think that was my original thought.

i'm not worried about "big brother" besides by time it becomes dangerous i'll more than likely be dead. besides i only have a younger sister.