Defining Cloud Computing – The Lewis Carroll Way

Defining Cloud Computing – The Lewis Carroll Way  `When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said,   in rather a scornful tone,   `it means just what I choose it to mean --  neither more nor less.' `The question is,' said Alice, `whether you  can make words mean so many different things.' `The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty,  `which is to be master -- that's all.' Alice was too much puzzled to say anything; so after a minute Humpty Dumpty began again. `They've a temper, some of them -- particularly verbs: they're the proudest -- adjectives you can do anything with, but not verbs -- however, I can manage the whole lot of them! Impenetrability! That's what I say!' `Would you tell me please,' said Alice, `what that means?' `Now you talk like a reasonable child,' said Humpty Dumpty, looking very much pleased. `I meant by "impenetrability" that we've had enough of that subject, and it would be just as well if you'd mention what you mean to do next, as I suppose you don't mean to stop here all the rest of your life.' `That's a great deal to make one word mean,' Alice said in a thoughtful tone. `When I make a word do a lot of work like that,' said Humpty Dumpty, `I always pay it extra.'

Comments

[Adam]

so what you're basically saying though is cloud computing is a nonsense word that can mean anything anyone wants it to?

[charltonb]

No - what I am saying is that great liberties that have been taken with defining Cloud Computing have made it seem nonsensical.

Nonsense [mis]conceptions of the Cloud include:
* Cloud == Public Cloud
* Cloud == Web 1.0, Traditional Browser-based client access
* Cloud has no relationship with Virtualisation

This sort of silliness makes the notion of Cloud seem much like a Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland or Through the Looking Glass. The level of misunderstanding such nonsense engenders definitely makes it seem that CC would be nonsense.