On age and privacy in the cloud

I don't have a lot of insightful conversations online. It's rare that people can disagree while anonymous and not show their trollish tendencies. So when I launched head-first into a debate with self declared "oldsters" on the subject of cloud computing and walked away with a new point of view, it surprised me. What we really ended up talking about was personal responsibility.

As a computer tech for a big box store, I have empathy for those who get smacked upside the head with the occasional dose of digital reality. Most people don't have a good backup plan, and don't realize the amount of personal data they already share online. As someone in my late 20s, I often find myself caught between those willing to live publicly on the Internet and those who are maybe too aware of the dangers. But I believe that for the majority of folks, privacy is an illusion.

So as a desensitized netizen, my view on could computing has largely been, "Why not?" With efforts like the Data Liberation Front, wouldn't Google be the lesser of many evils? Maybe. But as I was reminded, that's no reason not to teach others to be responsible with their data. Though cloud computing is an option -- and possibly a necessity for those in developing countries -- we need to make sure that we're not depending on corporate interests to protect us from ourselves. Just as with one's government, loss of control can be a dangerous path to trod.