It all seems to be going pear shaped - rant, rant.
Maybe its the credit crunch finally starting to kick in but there seems to have been a rapid up-tick in the removal of freemium services, or worse still, a charge (now that's against the driving principle for me) starting to be applied.
Example that I have noticed this week - Google Reader (gone), Scoop-it shared curation (payment now required), LinkenIn book reader list (disappeared - along with all that bumph I wrote?).
All this puts a distinct shadow over 'cloud-based services' in my mind. In fact we don't really have a 'cloud' - as I've pointed out in previous blog's - what we have is a load of separate islands of adventure each with their own data store and application arrangements. Under total control of whoever runs the site. Sounds like a mainframe, operates like a mainframe, it is a mainframe - as they say.
So you get lured in on a cloud-like freemium offering and then once you have been locked in the squeeze is put on. Probably get this blog taken down now, just you see!
Some things you will probably think it worthwhile paying for others will fall by the wayside - what services do you really need? Don't give your data away without due consideration - that goes for companies too - you have been warned!
Why can't we build a proper cloud - rather than these islands - source data accessible by any means and not controlled by any one outfit - or is that a bit naive ;)
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