Devices Are Not Forever, Perhaps The Cloud Is
Three or five years after you bought your device, their batteries would show signs of aging and death. Charging them would become more often and you'll find some common tasks actually draining the batteries faster. At a certain point, they may stop charging. You can replace the batteries or get a new device all together. Either way, in another three or five years, the cycle repeats.
Nowadays, all your data can be stored in the cloud. Thus, it's not as trivial to replace a device and still keep your data intact. All you really need is to back everything up in the cloud. Once your new device is activated, you can sync from the cloud and you're ready to go.
The cloud is easily an extension of your device. One that doesn't need batteries. However, it's not free. And for as long as there is power keeping the cloud running, and the Internet to keep it available to you, your data can virtually live forever.
And that is exactly the catch. The cloud needs power. The cloud needs the Internet. If many people would rely on the cloud, lost of both power and Internet would spell what is known as a "digital apocalypse". All those data. All those photo, audio and video memories lost in the cloud just like that. In an instant.
This is not to instill fear. More so, it is a reminder of how we should be prepared. Keep analog copies where possible. Keep multiple copies if possible. Keep our dependencies within reach and within control. It is not that we expect anything to happen. But being ready anyway should be an assurance. We know devices die. We know the cloud could help, but even that may not be permanent.
Will time come when access to the cloud is a human right? I don't hope it has to come to that. However, at the rate things are going, we might be heading close to that direction. If it does happen, I hope it's not a right we have to pay dearly for.
Nowadays, all your data can be stored in the cloud. Thus, it's not as trivial to replace a device and still keep your data intact. All you really need is to back everything up in the cloud. Once your new device is activated, you can sync from the cloud and you're ready to go.
The cloud is easily an extension of your device. One that doesn't need batteries. However, it's not free. And for as long as there is power keeping the cloud running, and the Internet to keep it available to you, your data can virtually live forever.
And that is exactly the catch. The cloud needs power. The cloud needs the Internet. If many people would rely on the cloud, lost of both power and Internet would spell what is known as a "digital apocalypse". All those data. All those photo, audio and video memories lost in the cloud just like that. In an instant.
This is not to instill fear. More so, it is a reminder of how we should be prepared. Keep analog copies where possible. Keep multiple copies if possible. Keep our dependencies within reach and within control. It is not that we expect anything to happen. But being ready anyway should be an assurance. We know devices die. We know the cloud could help, but even that may not be permanent.
Will time come when access to the cloud is a human right? I don't hope it has to come to that. However, at the rate things are going, we might be heading close to that direction. If it does happen, I hope it's not a right we have to pay dearly for.
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