Clouds and Clumps-of-Dirt

Try to find a very common analogy perhaps?

"Like a hybrid car, if the batteries are charged it works, but if required, it works fine with the gas engine."

or a powered glider, or an electric toothbrush - if the batteries are dead, you can still brush your teeth manually,etc. , or some other dual-featured ,hopefully common, object.

Yes, the point of my question was to come up with a "simple" (trivial) way of explaining the *cloud's* key characteristics (the easiest way to differentiate it from what I am presenting would be the *reliance* on the network)

To follow your lead (albeit poorly), it would be like a glider with REMOVABLE WINGS (i.e., without the wings, you've got a *brick*!)

Yeah, you seem to have a good handle on possible approaches so, I'd recommend you fully qualify your audience. Their skill/experience level should help determine which analogy to use. I'd say 'most' people just think of the 'cloud' as alternate/parallel data storage.

But, is there any other aspect of The Cloud that my simplification fails to "do justice to"?

Again, I think it may depend on your audience. That is, if, for instance, I tell you guys that our semi-automated test fixtures here have a wireless lan to an in-house server , but can buffer over a day's worth of test results to upload at a later time if the network goes down - you would understand it. But my mother-in-law wouldn't. I might tell her, it's like putting a big bucket under the sink to catch the dripping until the plumber clears the clog.

I presume your audience is somewhere between these examples (dunno). It's not unlike technical writing. Determining the education/ familiarity level of your target audience with your subject makes a big difference on how you write.

A colleague suggested stressing the obvious characteristics of connectivity (or lack thereof).

E.g., in addition to the dependence on the network for the services, the network's presence also makes other things feasible/practical (like facilitating collaboration, communication, interaction, etc.). I.e., the network is an asset as well as a liability -- stress those things that come and go with the going and coming of that connectivity!

I think he's on the right track, and I was much too restrictive when I mentioned data storage because certainly there ARE applications that are 'cloud computing', with people even using online spreadsheets, remote imaging, collaboration as mentioned, and other 'true' applications/programs.

Perhaps you will need to define 'cloud' or 'cloud computing' for your audience and then proceed to outlining your particular approach to on and offline functionality.

there isa wiki page that may have some text and image resources for you, I'm sure there are others as well.

I think his point was that the aspect of my presentation that "allows operation *without* 'The Cloud'" focuses too much attention on the shortcomings associated with cloud computing. I.e., it is as if to say, "This is *better* because it doesn't *need* the cloud".

That's a subtle bias that it would be too easy for folks to perceive. I.e., the *losses* of abilities that go along with "lost connectivity" are "intuitively obvious" to me, him, (you, etc.) but might be missed by someone not as closely connected to the technology. His point is that it cheats the audience out of a *truly* informed decision.

"I don't carry a cell phone. So, I can't be bothered by people when I am out-and-about!"

"True, but neither can you *contact* people at that time! (e.g., a tow truck operator if your car breaks down)"

Yes, I think a two-column chart, "online vs. offline" that shows what aspects are available in each "mode". But, being *comprehensive* in presenting those aspects, not "omitting" any because they might seem to be "intuitively obvious" (to *me*).

This allows the audience to see "what they get" by supporting "offline" operation and to better evaluate its merit when they see what they are *losing* in that same situation.

E.g., a cell phone without "phone service" still has some value (as a clock, "PDA", MP3 player, etc.). But, does providing those capabilities in the absence of phone service justify the cost or complexity of doing so? Would you *ever* want to be "without phone service"? etc.

Hmmm...you might consider having folks raise their hands in response to a question like - "How many of you have ever lost connectivity?" Expecting of course many hands. That should help bring home the point about being left with a 'brick' or a useful (if limited) tool.

I think you will need to put yourself less in the engineering mode and perhaps more in the Instructor/Salesman mode it seems. Hah!

Actually, the cell phone analogy may work well, here. Esp as phones are becoming more "empowered".

The trick is making sure they are "adequately informed" without providing so much information that they become paralyzed from "information overload". After all, sorting out the technological nuances is *my* job! ;-)