Class Assignment:

It seems talk of cloud computing is everywhere. I attended an event at DU last week on records management and even they brought up the idea that you should at least be familiar with cloud computing when approaching the industry because there are many applications where it will be employed in the future.

I used to be an early adopter of technology. I no longer am. Not only is it often
prohibitively expensive, it is generally quickly outdated. I spent $350 on a 3 megapixel camera. It was state of the art at the time.

The confluence of technology trends and cloud computing in this module got me thinking about the obsolescence of cloud computing; that’s not to say that is obsolete but I have to wonder about it in the same way I wonder about all technology today. I told my husband I was going to start an Internet museum dedicated just to our own outdated technology, with detailed photographs of his Apple II and my Sony MiniDisc player taken with my 3 megapixel camera.
Cloud computing is an interesting area and I think it’s filled with opportunities to bring technology to new places and the number of free Internet-based applications and software is sure to level some of the digital divide (particularly since libraries are playing an important role—wouldn’t it be nice to have libraries provide programs letting the average library user know what kinds of freebies are available to them on the Internet? I’m sure this is already happening in places I don’t know about).

I think the popularity of wireless applications in the cellular world will continue to bridge that divide. For example, I read recently that Twitter is very popular with businesses, celebrities and lower income cellular phone users (those who don’t have access to computers regularly but have adopted text messaging capabilities.

However, as future librarians (and archivists and records managers) it’s important to remember how quickly trends come and go and to be mindful of our client’s future need to access information from outdated modes.

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