July 16, 2009

Do You Trust Google More Than You Trust Your Wife?

Posted by mrwebservice under Cloud computing, Google, SOA | Tags: , , , |
Leave a Comment 

The latest Twitter controversy surrounding the blog, the hacker and the cloud vendor isn’t disturbing – just inevitable. By now anybody with an iota of interest in cloud computing will know what this story is about. Many people are probably damning Google for their ” lack of security.” But hang on here. Aren’t people being quite cavalier with their data? The other day I refused to give my own partner my PIN… but as I write, it’s happily stored somewhere as a draft on GMail. That really doesn’t make sense.

Hell, I trust the cloud more than I trust myself

Who’s really to blame? I don’t think it’s black-and-white. Frankly, as a rule I trust some company I know nothing about  a  lot more than I trust myself. I leave my passwords lying around on the desktop. I write my PIN on a scrap of paper and keep it in my wallet next to my debit card (nobody’s fooled by the fact I’ve made it look like a phone number). I’m lazy and useless – and I suspect most people out there are too. However, I think cloud vendors have a responsibility to make sure they compensate for users’ inadequacies.

Keeping sensitive data in the cloud isn’t “probably going to happen” – for consumers, it’s been happening for years – the big vendors just need to pull their finger out. At the moment, if you get stung by a lack of cloud security you’ll just be told:

“Only a dribbling buffoon leaves all their valuable data in the cloud.”

While it’s true that simple passwords were used – and in this respect Google is relatively blameless – there really ought to be more safeguards in place so people are forced to at least set more secure passwords. This is a must if the  business cloud is going to expand from web services and utilities into other areas such as secure data hosting.

Jamie Turner, UK cloud computing evangalist and IT Director of TheWebService, has this to say:

Cloud storage, just like Esperanto and the Sinclair C5, is a concept that makes sense… almost.

Having access to your data anywhere in the world from any device is an incredibly powerful thing. The scope is huge, enabling much wider usage and new possibilities, most of which haven’t even been thought of yet.

The problem is, making your calendar universally available in the cloud is a very different thing to placing business-critical company and customer information out there – especially financial information. Despite the significant business drivers that may promote this approach – scalability, agility and all the things that basically remove the inertia that blights most IT departments – security’s still the show-stopping concern.

There are too many questions, and too few answers. What control do we really have over data once it’s up there? What’s the physical security of the data centre? Where is the data centre? Are there cross-border legal issues with hosting the data overseas or in territories with ‘incompatible’ legislative environments? What if you need to destroy data – is that even possible? Then we need to consider the availability of the data: what if the cloud provider folds or they’re taken over by an overseas organisation? If there’s a catastrophic data centre failure, what’s the recovery time? Do they even back things up or just hope that a single data centre will always be safe? It’s a glib but important question – you can have as much redundancy as you like at any given site but if it disappears into the San Andreas Fault you’ll be wishing you still had that magic DAT tape. Are we blindly throwing data into the sky in the hope it will stay safe? Ultimately, this is the big problem with storing sensitive data in the cloud – at least for now: there are just no convincing answers to any of these questions.

So let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater – this problem just needs to be addressed, fast.

 

July 8, 2009

Chrome: Google’s new cloud OS

Posted by mrwebservice under Cloud computing, Google | Tags: , |
Leave a Comment 

As predicted here and here, Google has announced its new Chrome operating system project.

In a blog post that indirectly pokes fun at Microsoft OS’s perceived instability and short shelf life, Google are trying to endear themselves to the public with their embracing of the open source community and clear functional ideals (”it should just work,” they say).

With all the anti-Microsoft sentiments surrounding Vista and the anti-monopoly debacle surrounding its European launch of Windows 7, Redwood is having a tough time of late – a tough time that the modest success of Bing probably isn’t going to help all that much.

But be warned. There is a certain limit to what a desktop-bound God can do. If Google takes total monopoly of the cloud, there will be no limit to what they could do. And I for one find it a little unsettling.

 

January 27, 2009

G-Drive: Google’s latest stab at the cloud

Posted by mrwebservice under Cloud computing, Google | Tags: , |
Leave a Comment 
G-Drive

G-Drive

G-Drive

What is this X-Box design reject that’s nudging its way onto tech pages everywhere?  Apparently it’s Google’s latest stab at the cloud.  It’s the cloud – but in a nice tangible box.  Or rather, it’s a device that lets you access Google’s mighty servers and store all your stuff on them.

Google’s still a bunch of high-school geeks coding up “cool stuff”

But does this cut to the root of the problem?

I don’t think so.  Google seems to argue that somehow this box will “amalgamate all of its services” but I think it’s a desperate attempt to think around a problem rather than dive in head-first and solve it.

So what’s the problem?  It’s this: Google’s wasting its advantage in being early to market with cloud-based could-be solutions by not providing Enterprise-class cloud services.  Google docs is great but it’s totally focussed on the consumer end of the market.  We need tools with more functionality, or at the very least we need them marketed at business.  Google doesn’t seem to have the first clue at aiming its products B2B.

Google’s still, at heart, a bunch of high-school geeks coding up “cool stuff” before moving onto the next project – or buying it out.  Time to grow up, Google.

Update:

Our senior developer Richard Geary pulled me aside yesterday to tell me that the G-Drive would not, in all probability, as the Telegraph surmised with its Photoshop-suspect-image, come via an actual box.  I was shocked.

Frankly, though, I actually wouldn’t put it past anyone to do just that.  But just to illustrate that I’m not averse to a bit of Photoshop myself:

g-drive1

Obviously some things will have changed by the time of widespread adoption in 2015.  That ridiculous new Google icon for one.  But you’ll probably still be running XP.

 

January 9, 2009

Sign-up forms: one rule to double conversions overnight

Posted by mrwebservice under address management | Tags: , |
Leave a Comment 

Gee, this looks like an interesting article.  Not only does it have an in-your-face salesy claim (something is doubled overnight) but it’s about the glamorous subject of sign-up forms.  So don’t bother reading on unless a) you have or build sites that have a sign-up page, something like this:

form

And b) don’t mind a little plug for Postcode Anywhere’s addressing web service which solves one of the major problems with these forms.

The overriding rule

The overriding rule is this: make the form friendly.  It must not be intimidating.  Leads and potential customers do not want to see this staring them in the face:

Intimidating form

Intimidating form

This can be broken down into three golden rules:

1) Trim the fat

Do you really need to know all those details?  Or is the only thing you really need the name and the email address?  If you can trim it down to these two pieces of information, you’re done.

2) Use more than one screen

If there are some details you absolutely must capture at that point in time – credit card details, for example, then it makes no sense to bunch it all up on the one screen.  The best technique I’ve seen is to ask for the name and email address in the first screen, and put a “continue” button which takes you to the next screen, and so on.  I’m not going to go into detail on all the design and coding elements of how this is done – you can figure that out for yourself.  There is more than one way to skin a cat.  But I will say this: think about the psychology of it.  If you see a very short form, you’re more likely to fill it out.  And by the time the next screen comes up, you’ve already made a commitment and invested some time into filling out the form.  Now that you’ve spent some time on it, you don’t want it to be wasted time.  So you click through and fill out more than you would normally.

3) Make it easy

Use widgets and tools to automate some of the processes so filling the form is quick and easy.  You could add a little javascript date picker, for instance, if you need that kind of information.  This is where Postcode Anywhere’s address lookup tool comes in – not only does it make entering lengthy addresses easy (typically cutting keystrokes by 80%), but the data you do capture will be accurate and typo-free.  Everybody loves these neat little tools that make life online easier – and they make you look good.

 

December 16, 2008

Always include the postcode!

Posted by mrwebservice under Uncategorized
1 Comment 

Postcode Anywhere, top suppliers of the “what’s my postcode” web service, are launching a “hug-a-postie” campaign this Christmas to highlight the importance of adding your postcode to all mail.

Which got me thinking – it really is a difficult job being a postman, isn’t it?  Just look at the job description from Royal Mail:

You’ll need to be:

  • The sort of person who enjoys working with other people, as well as on your own.
  • An early riser (early starts are likely)
  • Able to work to tight deadlines
  • The face of Royal Mail
  • Able to carry mail pouches up to 16 kg (35lbs) in weight
  • Able to carry and lift mailbags up to 11kg in weight
  • Able to push trolleys of up to 250kg
  • The holder of a full driving licence with no more than 6 penalty points
(Apparently they also “welcome applications from disabled people”… how will that work?  Not to be discriminatory but I don’t see any paraplegics on the trapeze)
This has led me to picture the ideal postie:
ideal postman

ideal postman

I still find it amazing that people will moan and moan about their postman and then make their jobs that much more difficult by leaving out the postcode.
Click here for PCA’s postcode finder.
 

November 21, 2008

Route Optimization as a Web Service

Posted by mrwebservice under TheWebService News, route optimization | Tags: , , , , |
Leave a Comment 

Interest is heating up a little about TheWebService’s latest offering, route optimization (or optimisation) as a service.  TheWebService was even up for an award last night for “most innovative service” for the productat the ICT Awards.  So I thought I’d give a little run-down of what it actually is and what the benefits are to business.  It’s also on the Postcode Anywhere site on the route optimisation tab (there’s more info there); there’s a free trial to download and have a play with.

What is route optimization/optimisation?

Route optimization finds the best possible route along more than one stopping-off point.  It can cut journey times, petrol use and petrol costs by up to 30%.  It’s clear that for any haulage company, it makes sense to route-optimize.

What has this got to do with cloud computing?

The route optimization software offered by TheWebService is available over the Internet, so it’s a classic example of how delivering web services over the cloud can deliver added value for SMEs.  The service is available for a few pence/cents per use, so when you consider it saves a few hundred pounds/dollars every time you plan a route you can see the ROI is very impressive indeed.

So if you’ve got a haulage company, or ever have to make deliveries along several stopping-off points, then the benefits of this route-op logistics routing software over the Internet is obvious.

Transport Logistics

There are a few other solutions on the Internet, but I don’t believe they offer such a comprehensive, cure-all solution.  What’s more, TheWebService/PostcodeAnywhere solution is the only one to offer pay-per-use, so it doesn’t matter if you only make one trip a year – a few clicks, a few pence/cents, and you’ll save hundreds of dollars/pounds, whether you want to plan the best or fastest route for your lorry, or even how to visit all your relatives over Christmas in one night…

I reckon it’s worth a try!

 

November 10, 2008

Windows Azure: a breakthrough in Cloud Computing

Posted by mrwebservice under Cloud computing, Microsoft, SOA | Tags: |
Leave a Comment 

Despite the huge announcement of this cloud computing development platform last week, the blogoshpere has been relatively quiet.  Now we’ve had a little time to reflect, what does Windows Azure really mean for cloud computing?  What will it mean for the future of web and software development, as well as the future of computing?

If you are so inclined, you can read a lot of glossy bumf in the Windows Azure factsheet which doesn’t really tell you a great deal.  One key message to take from it, however, is this one:

Windows Azure is an open platform that will support both Microsoft and non-Microsoft languages and environments.

It will certainly be easier for software developers to make cloud-based applications.  Not only that, but there will finally be some kind of universal standard for the development of all things web-based. This is exactly what we were discussing a few weeks ago – if cloud computing is going to support mass adoption (and I think it will) then Microsoft has made a massive coup and “leapfrogged” the market again. A cross-environment cloud computing platform from Microsoft is just what the doctor ordered.

Concerns

Putting cloud computing into the spotlight means that Microsoft will inevitably draw fire from the doubters and conspiracy theorists.  These sorts of comments are highlighted as being all the more ridiculous when we read on message boards things like: “Call me paranoid, but all I see in the ‘cloud’ is a future of oppressive information oligarchs. No silver lining to this one methinks” (that from the PC Pro forum) and less intense comments like: “Keep control of your data… keep it on your own desktop!” (Times Online feedback)

Call me paranoid, but all I see in the ‘cloud’ is a future of oppressive information oligarchs.

As ever, most of the negatives come fom people who don’t really know what they’re talking about.  The unknown breeds fear and the idea of having your personal data looked after by someone in some ethereal and indiscrete “cloud” gives some people the willies if they think about it for too long.  But this is this no more a leap of faith than storing data electronically on your own system rather than physically in a notepad or book.

There is also the question of where this leaves Windows 7.  What will it look like?  With all this emphasis on the cloud and fallout from Vista (perceived as needlessly flabby and clumsy) we can expect Windows 7 to be a stripped-down, cleaner on-site operating system.  But will this deter users from using open-source alternatives like Linux for their earth-bound operating system, which may increasingly come to be used for the sole purpose of booting up the computer and managing on-system resources?  If Microsoft plays its cards right, they should squeeze out as much revenue as possible from what may be their last few user-hosted operating systems packages.  And if Windows 7 proves to be stable, lean and reliable, there may never be the mass switch to Linux that some industry insiders predict.  We should remember that XP is so old it is quickly becoming a “legacy” OS, and yet according to Wikipedia, “as of the end of September 2008, Windows XP is the most widely used operating system in the world with a 69% market share, having peaked at 85% in December 2006.”

There may never be the switch to Linux that some insiders predict

This also begs the question of what OS Microsoft will be running on their own servers.  But you can bet it will a simple and stable one.

Another concern centres around cloud computing as a whole.  Ray Ozzie, then man who replaced Bill Gates as Microsft’s chief software architect, says Azure is “a new tier in our industry’s computing architecture” – and for some, this is exactly the problem: more layers mean more code, and more tangled spaghettis of communication across tiers, which this blogger explains here.

Conclusion

Ultimately, this Windows offering can only be a good thing.  With the Microsoft juggernaut firmly behind cloud computing, the only way is up.

Richard Geary, Senior Developer for Postcode Anywhere, said: “This is going to be big.  Very big.  People said before the launch of .NET ‘bah, it’ll never catch on, Microsoft are being weird’ – and look at where it is now.  Remember, this is Microsoft we’re talking about.  If you want a platform for mass adoption, Microsoft have the magic.”

 

November 4, 2008

Incompetent government? Data as a Service (DaaS) to the rescue!

Posted by mrwebservice under Cloud computing, Data as a Service | Tags: , |
Leave a Comment 

DaaS is the answer to the question of public sector data management

According to Vcunet.com, 176 government data breaches took place last year, compared to just 80 cases in the private sector.

Information Commissioner Richard Thomas said:

It is alarming that despite high profile data losses, the threat of enforcement action, a plethora of reports on data handling and clear ICO guidance, the flow of data breaches and sloppy information handling continues.

So what does this mean for DaaS?  One big stumbling block to mass uptake is people’s resistance to the idea of having some external entity looking after their data.  It’s actually seen as one of the drawbacks of DaaS.  We’ll briefly explore here a couple of the reasons why it isn’t:

Ground rule

Be sure to go with a data-as-a-service provider with some track record of competence in data management.  There are too many startups out there with flashy 2.0 websites that haven’t even been indexed by Google yet.  You don’t want your data looked after by someone operating out of a garage.  As ever I would recommend data as a service provider thewebservice.com, but there are a few options to consider.

Why DaaS is better

Your data is managed by professionals

If you’ve got a leaky tap, you call the plumber.  OK, if you’re a plumber yourself, you can maybe fix it yourself.  But most people aren’t plumbers and so they use a good plumber.

It’s the same with DaaS; these guys make it their job to manage data.  It’s very unlikely your tech team will be able to match the level of service and competency.

The service is transparent

What does this mean?  Well, it boils down to the fact that if something goes wrong, you’ll point the finger and kick up a fuss.  Reputations could be destroyed very quickly.  No DaaS provider wants to be in that situation.  There is no scenario of in-house “covering up” of data mismanagement.  There’s nowhere to hide.

Follow the link for more info on the benefits of DaaS.

 

November 3, 2008

Outrageously unfunny web services joke…

Posted by mrwebservice under Cloud computing, Off-topic | Tags: |
[2] Comments 

… which I shall repeat in its entirety:

The component asks the bartender via Web Services:
“Gimme a beer”
Bartender:
“What kind of beer?”
The component thinks a minute.
“I didn’t know you’d have more than one. I just want a beer.”
Bartender:
“What kind of beer?”
Component:
“A plain one.”
Bartender:
“What’s plain beer? How about a bud?”
Component:
“Umm.. ok.”
The component tries to take the beer but it slips onto the floor and the glass breaks.
Bartender:
“What’s wrong with you?”
Component:
“I got a slippery SoapException.”

Many thanks to Beth Massi …

 

October 31, 2008

Wikipedia Sucks: Wikipedia is run by morons, and here’s why

Posted by mrwebservice under Off-topic, Random rants, Wikipedia | Tags: , |
[50] Comments 

wikipedia sucks message one

Wikipedia sucks.

Why do I say this?  Obviously I’ve just had yet another bad experience with the self-professed Gods who “manage” the encyclopaedia.  But before I bore you with the Data as a Service controversy (ooh, that sounds exciting, doesn’t it!?), let’s take a look at just why Wikipedia sucks quite so badly.

A Prerequisite to being a Wikipedia moderator is being a petty, trumped-up troll

Who wants to be a Wikipedia moderator?  Why would you want to do it?  How would you find the time?  Why would you be bothered?  Here are the reasons:

1) You want to contribute something of value to the human race: knowledge.  A noble thought.  But why not just contribute in the normal way?  Because you are a prolific contributor and want to feel a little important.

2) You have a burning hatred of “spammers” and pranksters who leave their trail of junk contributions and links wherever they go.  You fight the good fight and think of yourself as a crusader against spam.  And you have the badges on your profile page to prove it.

3) You have acres of spare time and don’t know what to do with it.  You may be old or unemployed and debating on forums does not carry the import or weight of helping to manage the most used encyclopeadia in the world.

4) You have a personal agenda to follow and you need the power to carry it through.  Knowledge is power and you have the keys.

wikipedia message 4

Now, let’s take a pinch of all these attributes and mix them together. What do we end up with?  I’ll tell you what.  A trumped-up & twisted little troll so filled with their own self-importance they are about to explode.

The two breeds of Wikipedia Moderators

In general, though, there are two types of wikipedia moderator.

Wikipedia Moderator #1: the instigator with a vested interest

This is maybe the most dangerous breed.  They have established a small reputation and perhaps following on Wikipedia through their collection of at best pedestrian and at worst moronic contributions.  For whatever reason they have staked out a claim on a small patch of Wikipedia and see it as “theirs”.  They were there first.  Their material should stay.  They’ve seen off countless spammers and weak revisions and are invincible.

wikipedia sucks message 5

These moderators will pounce on any revisions you make and systematically delete them.  They may even try and delete whole articles you’ve written.

Wikipedia Moderator #2: the spam-hater with the itchy mouse finger

Although the instigators are prettty depressing, I think it’s actually these people that are the worst.  These moderators cycle through the whole of Wikipedia looking for things to delete.  Because they spend their time cycling through all the articles nominated for deletion, they don’t really have any specialism (other than being a “crusader”, with “left-wing” views so potent they actually make Hitler look like a hobbyist)

Wikipedia moderators make Hitler look like a hobbyist

These jumped-up jobsworths who were misinformed about their lineage can’t comprehend what they’re reading 99% of the time and are happy to just keep clicking away.  Delete-delete-delete.  They’re doing everyone a service, after all.  Where would Wikipedia be without them?  It would be a seething link farm filled with “original research” and garbage.  Every time something is deleted, the moderator has brought some good back to the world.  The criterion for deletion is simple: if it’s been nominated, rip it out.

Why the two breeds are bad for anyone with anything to say

These two types of moderator work together.  Step one: the instigator with the vested interest notices you and starts causing problems.  Once the instigator has nominated something for deletion, or you’ve got into an argument with him about something that’s already been deleted, like some evil genie in a bottle, the spam-hater with the itchy trigger finger pops up.  If something’s been nominated for deletion, “click” goes the spam-hater, and it’s gone.  They don’t think twice.  They are crusaders, after all.

You can’t Complain about Wikipedia Moderators

Wikipedia is “not a democracy” and there’s no higher order to complain to when things go wrong – just a seething collective of no-hopers who have formed alliances and like nothing more than slapping these laughable phallic symbols all over the place:

wikipedia sucks message 2

That’s right.  You want to play by the rules and you’ve done your research.  Your revisions are accurate and you have the links to prove it; your article was neutral and you want to argue your case; you’ve done your research and you actually followed Wikipedia policy.  The trouble is, all of these policies are open to considerable interpretation. and there are so many rules and guidelines that there will always be something to throw at you.  Remember, it’s not about debate.  The decision has been made.
If you’re not interested in SOA and cloud computing skip to the end now and feel free to vent by leaving a comment.

Wikipedia is essentially the biggest committee in the world.

Wikipedia is a big committee.  And committees are crap.  Everyone knows that.  There are 1,614 admins on the English Wikipedia at the time of writing which is both a massive amount of people to be generating red tape and also a bizarrely miniscule number of people when you consider the millions of pages Wikipedia contains.  So we’re really talking about the cream: the most mean-spririted, petty people on the planet.

Wikipedia moderators are the most mean-spirited, petty people on the planet

My problem:

The reason I’ve written this is because I am increasingly frustrated by Wikipedia moderators’ attitude to new material.  I have created informative Service-Oriented Architecture diagrams and had them removed by someone who has staked out their turf on the area.  This is one of the diagrams they have created in its place:

Moronic

Moronic

Fire the cannons!  Make that man a university professor!  Give him a medal – it’s truly an unbelievable achievement how such sophisticated concepts can be boiled down into such a pappy slush of watered-down sophomoric garbage!

I also worked on a company profile on Wikipedia which has been taken down, despite its being neutral and citing references.  It is clear that no matter what you do, if it has the smell of the corporate about it, Wikipedians will hunt you down and delete everything you’ve ever done.

The worst thing, though, is the deletion of my article explaining data as a service.  According to the overzealous morons who got the article deleted (while I was asleep, and in the space of 24 hours) “Data as a service does not exist”.

Er… WHAT?!  Who are these people?!  Are they living on an alternate plane of reality?  Or maybe I am.  Er… no, a quick Google search confirms that this is a term that does indeed exist.

Let’s hunt down and destroy Wikipedia Moderators

I would like to hear of anyone and everyone’s bad experiences of Wikipedia.  Perhaps we should all band together and form our own collective of Anti-Wikipedians.  Any Wikipedia moderators with an axe to grind can go elsewhere.  I have a rigid set of rules and guidelines in place and what that boils down to is I don’t like Wikipedians and I will delete your comment and glue my own banners all over your smug, self-regarding faces.

wikipedia sucks message 3

 

Next Page »