Megaupload.com seized

Sat Jan 21 19:38:23 UTC 2012

> Not that I would not be a bit miffed if personal files disappeared, but
> that's one of the risks associated with using a cloud service for file
> storage.  It could have been a fire, a virus erasing file, bankruptcy,
> malicious insider damage...  Doesn't matter, you lost access to legit
> content in the crossfire.
> 
> There is always a risk of losing access to cloud resources.  And for
> years, we always joked in my computer buddy circles, computers know
> when you don't have a backup.
> 
> It's your fault(not theirs) if that was your only copy.
> 
> Lyle Giese
> LCR Computer Services, Inc.

Entire governments in the US are using "cloud storage" for their documentation these days.  It is my understanding (which is hearsay) that Google has an entire service aimed at small governments (county and municipal mostly) in Google Docs for just this purpose and I know of at least one city on California that is using Google for their document repository and their city email.  In case of an emergency where Google is unreachable, they are in a world of hurt and won't even be able to send email from one department to another in city hall because all their mail and documents are now "in the cloud" which would then be inaccessible to them rather than on a server in their local data center.  So ... and Earthquake in Santa Clara county might take out city governments in Monterey or Santa Cruz counties which might otherwise be perfectly able to conduct their business.

Point is, MANY people are using "the cloud" as their primary storage because it is marketed as being safe and secure (backed up and with better access security than they could manage themselves).