#gmail server down

[reelmegabyte]

ever wonder why spotify/discord/teams desktop apps kind of suck?

i don't do a lot of long form posts but. I realized that so many people aren't aware that a lot of the enshittification of using computers in the past decade or so has a lot to do with embedded webapps becoming so frequently used instead of creating native programs. and boy do i have some thoughts about this.

for those who are not blessed/cursed with computers knowledge Basically most (graphical) programs used to be native programs (ever since we started widely using a graphical interface instead of just a text-based terminal). these are apps that feel like when you open up the settings on your computer, and one of the factors that make windows and mac programs look different (bc they use a different design language!) this was the standard for a long long time - your emails were served to you in a special email application like thunderbird or outlook, your documents were processed in something like microsoft word (again. On your own computer!). same goes for calendars, calculators, spreadsheets, and a whole bunch more - crucially, your computer didn't depend on the internet to do basic things, but being connected to the web was very much an appreciated luxury!

that leads us to the eventual rise of webapps that we are all so painfully familiar with today - gmail dot com/outlook, google docs, google/microsoft calendar, and so on. as html/css/js technology grew beyond just displaying text images and such, it became clear that it could be a lot more convenient to just run programs on some server somewhere, and serve the front end on a web interface for anyone to use. this is really very convenient!!!! it Also means a huge concentration of power (notice how suddenly google is one company providing you the SERVICE) - you're renting instead of owning. which means google is your landlord - the services you use every day are first and foremost means of hitting the year over year profit quota. its a pretty sweet deal to have a free email account in exchange for ads! email accounts used to be paid (simply because the provider had to store your emails somewhere. which takes up storage space which is physical hard drives), but now the standard as of hotmail/yahoo/gmail is to just provide a free service and shove ads in as much as you need to.

webapps can do a lot of things, but they didn't immediately replace software like skype or code editors or music players - software that requires more heavy system interaction or snappy audio/visual responses. in 2013, the electron framework came out - a way of packaging up a bundle of html/css/js into a neat little crossplatform application that could be downloaded and run like any other native application. there were significant upsides to this - web developers could suddenly use their webapp skills to build desktop applications that ran on any computer as long as it could support chrome*! the first applications to be built on electron were the late code editor atom (rest in peace), but soon a whole lot of companies took note! some notable contemporary applications that use electron, or a similar webapp-embedded-in-a-little-chrome as a base are:

microsoft teams

notion

vscode

discord

spotify

anyone! who has paid even a little bit of attention to their computer - especially when using older/budget computers - know just how much having chrome open can slow down your computer (firefox as well to a lesser extent. because its just built better <3)

whenever you have one of these programs open on your computer, it's running in a one-tab chrome browser. there is a whole extra chrome open just to run your discord. if you have discord, spotify, and notion open all at once, along with chrome itself, that's four chromes. needless to say, this uses a LOT of resources to deliver applications that are often much less polished and less integrated with the rest of the operating system. it also means that if you have no internet connection, sometimes the apps straight up do not work, since much of them rely heavily on being connected to their servers, where the heavy lifting is done.

taking this idea to the very furthest is the concept of chromebooks - dinky little laptops that were created to only run a web browser and webapps - simply a vessel to access the google dot com mothership. they have gotten better at running offline android/linux applications, but often the $200 chromebooks that are bought in bulk have almost no processing power of their own - why would you even need it? you have everything you could possibly need in the warm embrace of google!

all in all the average person in the modern age, using computers in the mainstream way, owns very little of their means of computing.

i started this post as a rant about the electron/webapp framework because i think that it sucks and it displaces proper programs. and now ive swiveled into getting pissed off at software services which is in honestly the core issue. and i think things can be better!!!!!!!!!!! but to think about better computing culture one has to imagine living outside of capitalism.

i'm not the one to try to explain permacomputing specifically because there's already wonderful literature ^ but if anything here interested you, read this!!!!!!!!!! there is a beautiful world where computers live for decades and do less but do it well. and you just own it. come frolic with me Okay ? :]

*when i say chrome i technically mean chromium. but functionally it's same thing

[tdvzine]

✨ Dear contributors & backers: our final curtain call is here! 🎭

Thank you all for your patience as we wrapped up the last shipments from our leftover store (and then unfortunately dealt with a slight delay due to a technical issue with the donation site). We are *thrilled* to share the donation receipts with you!

Check the images in the spread to confirm the following amounts:

✈️ 850USD to Doctors Without Borders

💉🩸 850USD to The Blood Center

Our hope is that it might encourage some smiles and pats on your backs because this was only possible thanks to all of you! Each contributor, each creative, each backer, each social media campaign, each share, each word of mouth *mattered* and it all led to this ~ thank you for bringing us to this moment, we are so deeply grateful for it 🥰

✨ To our contributors: be sure to check your accompanying email for a feedback form link and a timeline to save any important info from the server 💻

✨ To everyone: we’ll be closing down our platforms DM’s in one week to ensure we don’t miss anything during our hiatus, but our gmail account will still be available for anything urgent. Other than that, see you in the spring with our Volume Two interest check 😉

[0crooked-arcade0]

Alright....let's try this one last time.

;;{INSERT DISC 2 TO CONTINUE};;

[BUFFERING ■■■■□□□]

***Now Playing...》》》***

**Route 66 by Blue Jay Walker**

01:06 ━━━━⬤─────── 04:05

                  ⇆ ឵឵ ឵឵ ឵឵ ឵឵ ឵឵ ឵឵◃ ❚❚ ▹ ឵឵ ឵឵ ឵឵ ឵឵ ↻

{⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘}

🎡__**GENERAL INFO**__🎡

﹆ Name;; Kathryn ((Kitty)) Hawthorne

﹆ PenName;; Crooked Arcade

﹆ Age;; Mid twenties range, specifics unkown due to record tampering.

﹆ Gender;; Medically Intersex ((still looking for a label that fits))

﹆ Pronouns;; ((Any I suppose?)) He/She/They/It

﹆ Orientation;; Grey Ace

﹆ Species;; Biologically NonHuman //Bogeyperson//Dream Demon

{⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘}

🎡__**BLOG INFO**__🎡

These are trying times we find ourselves in these past few years, the veil is thin, and those who reside within the uncanny valley are now slowly integrating back into the masses.

And I'm one of them.

Welcome to the Crooked Arcade, a blog archiving the daily life and joining in on the conversations of those non human users among us. The Arcade is a mixed bag, a melting pot of history and research posts, art, memes, and whatever else fits the vibe.

My DMs are always open, making connections with people like me is one of the reasons I keep going.

Sleep tight! Stay Weird! And don't let my Father bite.

{⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘}   

🎡__**SOCIAL**__🎡

//Tumblr;; You are Here!

|>;; Sideblogs

@Umbrella_Corp_Official (RE)

@Deceptive_Oasis (IHNMAIMS)

@TBA (YT Egos)

//Discord;; Homo_Necrosis

//Gmail;; 0CrookedArcade0@gmail.com

{⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘}   

》{{Pssst- Down here!}}《

Hey Girl, Plagued by horrifying visions?

Do your childhood memories purely consist of events that would be labeled scientifically impossible? Do your parents defy the laws of physics on a daily basis?

Then maybe the Crooked Arcade Discord server is the right place for you!

A discord server catering to some of the most bizarre and overlooked among us. A safe space for the children of the night and those hailing from the uncanny valley to speak freely without the fear of being doxxed coming under the scrutiny or fakeclaiming that often happens in the open web.

;;{COMING SOON, LINK TO BE POSTED HERE};;

[codingquill]

What is Cloud Computing ?

Cloud computing has become a widely discussed topic in recent years, but explaining it in simple terms to someone without a background in computer science can be challenging. Allow me to break it down for you.

Cloud computing is a method of storing and accessing data and programs over the internet, rather than keeping them on your personal computer or mobile device. To illustrate this, let's consider online email services like Gmail or Outlook. When you use these services, you can access your emails from anywhere because they are stored in the cloud. This means you don't need to install any special software or save your messages on your hard drive. Instead, your emails are stored on remote servers owned by companies like Google or Microsoft. You can access them from any device connected to the internet, regardless of your location.

Understanding Servers in the Cloud

Now, let's delve into the concept of servers in the cloud.

The data stored in the cloud is saved on physical servers, which are powerful computers capable of storing and processing vast amounts of information. These servers are typically housed in data centers, which are specialized facilities that accommodate thousands of servers and other equipment. Data centers require significant power, cooling, security, and connectivity to operate efficiently and reliably.

Microsoft and Google are two of the largest cloud providers globally, and they have data centers located in various regions and continents. Here are some examples of where their data centers are located, according to search results:

Microsoft has data centers in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

Google has data centers in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.

[emweii-blog]

A list of why I am super duper lucky to be his girlfriend ♡:

(Much better if u listen to this song while reading !!)

1. He’s a date-to-marry type of guy, never messes around and is 100% committed. He never ever wanted to break up with me. Always chases me back whenever we get into serious fights and arguments and doesn’t let me go even if i’m being stubborn (There are times that I block him but he still manages to call me on all socmeds, even on gmail TvT this man istg)

2. He is very consistent. Writing this on the year we reached 4th year of our relationship and I can definitely attest that he’s very consistent with his efforts and unwavering love for me. He talks all caps and in tone that he’s always excited and happy to talk to me. He always asks me what I want to watch, play, and do with our time. He always wants me to pick because he’s happy when i’m happy. He religiously loves saying “Happy Wife Happy Life” HAHSHHAHA

3. He’s not afraid to learn and take accountability for his mistakes. He’s not perfect especially during the first and second year of our relationship. We definitely went through a lot of bumpy roads and because of it, we learned alot along the way. He always makes sure that his words and actions match. He wants to prove me countless of times that he’d never want to hurt me again and wouldn’t make me feel worthless. He’d always talk to me calmly even when at some point i’d get furious and my anger issues spill out, he’d still manage to calm me down and make me feel loved. He never even cursed at me let alone shout at me.

4. I believe he’s my ‘red string theory’. Our relationship started in Sep. 20, 2020. But we met a month before that in a game called Roblox, specifically Survivor(the game’s gone bc it got banned as it was against violation and was also copyrighted) We were 13 and 14 that time and it was the hit of the pandemic. We were both struggling with a lot of mental health problems so we were each other’s comfort and only support. A year later, we had our first date with a couple of our friends and then it multiplied from then on. Tbh the second date was also memorable as it was with his family na hehe. Imagine just because of two people, being awake at the same time, playing this game, on the same server, and suddenly they talk to each other(the fact that I never talked to anyone on the game and so did he, but we talked to each other?!?!?) and then boom, a healthy rs going strong for four years and counting. Now tell me that’s not destiny >:[

5. His WHOLE family loves me!! He comes from a very religious family while I grew up being an atheist, so right off the bat I had this strong feeling that I may probably be hated alot by them. But I was so wrong. They were very nice to me, very welcoming whenever i’m at their house. They even bring me to family gatherings (let me just add that he has a big family so when I say fam gathering, it’s really huge) and I’ve met almost everyone and they even brought me to his mother’s hometown!!! Aaaaa I also bought him to my mother’s hometown aswell mehehehebdjsnd His only sibling which is his little sister is also sweet and nice to me, and most of his closest girl cousins always hearts my stories !! so we’re like really supported in both sides

6. Nothing’s impossible for him when it comes to me. He becomes very selfless whenever it’s about me. There were weeks where I struggled financially because I can’t freaking budget my monthly allowance ($85) so whenever it’s the last week of the month, whenever I stretch out my leftover money and limit myself to no eating, he’d literally contribute to my wallet and wouldn’t take a NO from me. He’d limit himself from eating and would walk from his campus to the other side of the road to get home(which is very far btw) just so he could save up a lot and give me 66% of his allowance per day TvT Honestly even if I try to decline it he’d be so persistent. Which is why I make sure to give it twice back whenever I have the chance to. Might I add, his allowance compared to mine is so low and we’re both students but he’d really do all of this just to prove that nothing’s impossible for him and that he’d do anything for me hejsndk Also, other than money. He’d save up as well if he can and commute to my house which is (2-3 hours depending if there’s high traffic) and that would be doubled once he goes home. He’s so resilient with commuting that he got used to it and would always say “Kapitbahay ko lang ‘yang Parañaque eh” also there were nights aswell that we’d stay up and i’d tell him i’m too afraid to sleep because I might not wake up from my alarms, so he’d stay up and wake me up through calls or sometimes he’d choose to sleep and then alarms himself earlier than mine to wake me up huhu

7. He’d choose me out of anyone else in this world. His family would obviously be excluded here. But we’ve encountered many problems regarding our social circles and both sides have had this huge damage in our relationship. To his side, he really proved it well that he’d choose me over his 3(?) years trio friendship while I did the same with mine as well. We just opened each other’s eyes of how mentally exhausting and shitty those people were to our lives and that we both didn’t deserve that. But ofcourse, we forgive them and we never held grudges. We sometimes include them in our prayers that they’d have a good life ahead of them ^^

8. He always says I am his first girlfriend, first love, true love, greatest love, and last. Even though I know he’s had a relationship before me, he doesn’t count it because from his own words: “Peer pressured lang naman ako noon at hindi ko naman talaga siya gusto. Hindi ako yung lumapit, inenjoy ko lang atensyon niya.” Tbh if I was her(ex niya) and I hear him say that it’s prob gonna hurt real bad ahhshahshs but tbh, I never had a problem with his past rs he just probably thinks I do? HAHAHSHS so he always consider me as his FIRST girlfriend heheheh so I guess it’s a win anyway. Also, if anyone asks him what’s his type, his answer literally matches me. So i’m vv flattered hehe

9. He’s very loyal. His social media accounts are full of my face, from his posts to highlights to profile pictures to username—it’s all me!! He never ever hearts or reacts to any girl’s photos. His instagram is full of cat feeds or anything adhd meme related, his tiktok fyp is clear and even if you scroll hundreds of times there wont be any sign of girls, his tiktok reposts are also wholesome vids most of the time, his fb too is clear. He never adds or follow any girls, if a girl sends a request to him he doesn’t even respond and most of the time he deletes it HAHSHHAHA He also talks cold to most girls especially when it’s about school. He updates often if he’s out, sends pictures and videos and only hangs out with his boys. He doesn’t even play on his own TvT he only plays with me. He’d literally wait for the whole day until I wake up just to play. He also gave me his account right when we just hit three months of our relationship. So now I have like all access to everything and he doesn’t even mind. He doesn’t even have a girl bestfriend TvT He used to but damn he regrets it alot HAHHAHAHAHAH he always says that i’m the only gbf he needs and that’s so true so proud of him for saying that

10. He respects me alot and lets me wear whatever I want. He just always says he can fight. Plus he supports me with anything I wear. Hehe I even told him I might probably not want any kids in the future and he’s okay with it hejsndksnd he loves me and that’s all that matters. He also respects my choices, values, my body, and my time.

That’s all for now ^^ tbh there are many more to the list but I am very sleepy na HAHHSHAHD will post another one in the future :>

—emweii 12/02/2024. ‪♡

[faggotgamzee]

observations on the future of social media in regards to P2P and Blockchains and decentralized protocols in general ie nostr/iris, bluesky etc, what it means in Threads, Tumblr and Twitter/X's case and what it means to us as users

prefacing this with I'm just a person with access to google and a hefty amount of curiosity and a layman's understanding of the subjects so I will most likely be wrong about a couple things but I just wanted to write this to get a discussion going in a public space about what these social medias mean for the future of the internet and what I think their goals are and also to just get my thoughts in order

P2P in the simplest of terms is how torrenting works, it is peer 2 peer sharing of information ie computer 2 computer, so for example if you download something sent to you by a person from google drive its person > google servers > you, however if you torrent somethings its person > you (well in actuality its Multiple people> you and that's what seeding is but I am keeping it simple for my own sake) So in my quest to find a way to p2p stream things directly from a computer to another computer not on the same network on github, I've found that a huge amount of research has been done in general on P2P implementation beyond just media sharing in the last couple of years

and subsequently I fell down a rabbit hole of P2P social media, so what that means is imagine a social media without a middle man or a direct company. Twitter right now works as such, person tweets > passes through twitter servers > you access their tweet as shown to you through the twitter servers this mode of information sharing requires physical servers to store this data on, most companies don't own their own servers but instead rent them, usually from amazon or google, and twitter is the same, in fact almost everything on the internet is hosted through amazon servers and they have intense monopoly worldwide (x) (x)

this is partially how countries can exert their laws on these social media companies

P2P makes all of this obsolete, reduces the overhead cost of servers and takes them out of the equation, the sharing of information will be pingponged through multiple computers instead of passed through one large middle man that can be prosecuted and contacted for hosting/platforming this data. personally I am very excited about the development of P2P technology however, this form of decentralized social media isn't new people have been experimenting with it since 2012 and the early internet ran on p2p (IRC), but the biggest difference now is that people have combined it with blockchains (bitcoin) (W3C ie Web.3 consortium pretentious name I know) and this brings me to the current Big Fish battle that is happening right now between IRIS(NOSTR)/Blusky and Threads, Twitter

So starting with IRIS, most people have probably not heard of IRIS but what IRIS is, is a p2p social media running on a protocol called NOSTR, ELI5 protocols are just Ways of doing things/sharing information/guidelines, ie emails are just a protocol called SMTP (simple mail transfer protocol) that companies can build things around ex: gmail, runs on SMTP protocol I stumbled on the ex CEO of twitter Jack Dorsey on IRIS and a couple things struck me first scrolling through the site and his account. first even though Jack Dorsey is on the board of directors for bluesky and helped in its development he more so wants NOSTR protocol and IRIS to succeed and seems to be pushing them more heavily even on his twitter secondly the little dollar amount tied to every post he makes,

this literary banger is apparently worth a dollar and a half in "Zap Coins" this leads me to speculate on the future of bluesky because to me it seems like IRIS is being used as a testing ground for bluesky, bluesky currently DOESNT have bitcoin tied to its posts like nostr does but it does have the groundworks laid in in its protocol! I offhandedly mentioned previously that social medias are combining P2P and blockchain this time around and thats exactly what is happening in IRIS and what bluesky seems to be working towards, now what does this mean in IRIS's case? well from my understanding is that creating accounts on IRIS is exactly like creating a crypto wallet, in that your account will have its own unique generated hash encrypted number and every post you make is like making a transaction in the blockchain ie it has its own hash attached to it hence every post you make has a monetary value pros > makes you hard to find, posts are decentralized and spread over multiple computers worldwide and encrypted >can make as many accounts as you want no need for verification you just need to remember the unique hash attached to them >no servers hosting your information governments and companies have less control cons (to me anyways lol) >monetized posts >the power balance gets shifted from companies and goverments to ISP's and their abilities to connect you to other computers worldwide >nothing can ever actually be deleted its all recorded, you can orphan posts from your account I think? but they will still be findable

what does this mean in Blue sky's case?

Well starting with the differences, Bluesky is NOT p2p it is running on its own self made "decentralized" protocol called ATP (@ protocol) it is very theoretical and doesn't have any actual implementation anywhere as opposed to NOSTR and other protocols that twitter and tumblr run on I read through it and looked up some things but I genuinely don't understand how its supposed to be decentralized especially with how it seems to be implemented in actuality, so currently bluesky has frequent outages and is slow to use, if it were decentralized these things shouldn't be affecting everyone? so from my understanding it says that everyone has their own server PDS (personal direct server) that will host their posts and that it all PDS will be connected via a crawler which will siphon that information to an app, which I GUESS is decentralized but what does PDS mean in this case? signing up to bluesky is most definitely not hosting your own server with your own posts, you are putting these posts on a server somewhere, but who is it owned by? I read some articles saying that bluesky is starting out by hosting their own servers for you in that case they've just invented twitter 2 but with more flexibility in regards to third party implementation anyways rant aside, the similarities, while iris isnt the same as bluesky, bluesky's philosophy seems to be in a similar vain to iris and blue sky is following iris' steps closely, while iris isn't owned by one single entity, blue sky board of directors want to make some cash money and I assume thats why they didnt fully lean into p2p

like I mentioned before Blue Sky's protocol has the capabilities for bitcoin integration baked into it (x) I dont know if they will try to monetize the posts in the same way directly in bluesky as is done in IRIS but the ATP is very flexible and what that means is that they can create a different monetary based app that you don't even need to sign up for you'd just use your bluesky credentials and you'd have a crypto wallet tied to your blue sky account because your ID isn't tied to just blue sky, its tied to anything running the ATP protocol

sound familiar? this is what Elon musk is trying to do with Twitter rn and this is basically where he got the idea, he wants to make twitter the one stop shop app for everything, but this isn't a fantasy unattainable idea this is coming directly from the protocols IRIS and Bluesky use, and I will not be surprised if in the near future we see him attempt to integrate bitcoin into twitter

Twitter, Threads and Tumblr (triple T haha 3T if you will) are all going to try and compete with Bluesky and Iris because ~money~, but they are doing so with.... *drum rolls* Mastedon! the dark horse or more accurately the protocol that Mastedon uses which is called ActivityPUB, Activitypub is older than both NOSTR and ATP and has a history of a wide range of implementation, however if you've ever used Mastodon you'd know its very limited in its capabilities when it comes to social media

This is basically I theorize/speculate is one of the reasons tumblr changed its looks, they are trying to standardize social media between all 3 of them and basically build bridges between each other so as to combat IRIS and BlueSky This is not to say they will become like Mastedon however, in fact between Threads which has a huge amount of money to throw at inventing things and polishing the Activepub protocol and Automattic which owns tumblr and has owned wordpress for even longer who have a familiarity with blogging platforms and multi integration across multiple platforms I think they can be strong competitors

dont ask me what twitter is doing, I am not even certain it will integrate activitypub 100% I just think thats the easiest and fastest way to try and achieve elon's goals and threads and tumblr are combining

so what does it mean exactly when these sites say they will use ActivityPub?

it just means that they are trying to build bridges between each other, that is very vague and obscure of course because idk how they will go about it, the most basic way is post sharing between sites will change and become easier but its not limited to just that, IDK if they will even change the sites themselves instead of just building addons but tumblr's aesthetic change makes me think that they will

more importantly what does this mean for us Users?

well if you've read this far, I just want to emphasize that this isn't something to doom about, while I don't support crypto 100% I think the next wave of social media is headed in a good direction in that people are Finally focusing on decentralizations, social media that isn't under the thumb of one company or hosted on one single server (tumblr servers for example ALLEGEDLY were hosted on one amazon server without backup x) we are finally moving in a direction that is more open as I listed in the pros section above when it comes to IRIS I personally think those ones are worth the cons, however I want people to understand when they are joining bluesky, threads etc the conversation isn't about what these websites are good at NOW, you are NOT joining a twitter copy, all the social medias are gearing up to move away into a new era of internet, it may look the same but under the hood their goals are different, as far as I can tell every social media's goals are focused on 3 things currently >decentralization (lowering their costs in moderation, hosting etc) >getting money, alot of money as fast as possible (crypto integration, selling your data) >beating their competition and surviving as the big fish (protocols are duking it out iris/bluesky vs the world)

like I said at the start of this post I am just a layman with a keyboard, these are just observations I've made, and I could be wrong about multiple things here! but either way, curious about where we are headed

[jupitermelichios]

@jughead-is-canonically-aroace (great url btw) asked me to make my additions to this post rebloggable on their own. for reference if anyone wants it, this is a pretty good write up of the whole ongoing situation

~~*~~*~~

Having read the thread, along with a number of other connected threads, there is no reason the believe AO3 is going to go down

(that's not to say you shouldn't back up your own fics, or save copies of other people's fics for personal use, it's always a good idea to have backups)

the linked thread is discussing institutional problems with OTW's Legal and Policy & Abuse committees (although the latter primarily in the ways the thread's author believes they are being negatively impacted by legal)

It's primarily a conversation about the OTW having structural problems and being slow to react/change when needed, but three accusations of specific breaches of the law which could get the OTW into trouble are made:

That the OTW does not retain works PAC identify as containing CSAM/CSEM for the legal minimum period of 90 days

That the OTW suspends rather than deletes the accounts of those identifies as being under 13 so that they can restore the account once the user is over the minimum user age, which is a breach of COPPA

Same as above, but this is a breach of GDPR

None of these could get AO3 taken down, and 2 of them are provably untrue

Systems have confirmed the first point is not true. While works are not retained on the archive for the 90 days, the archive keeps complete back-ups for longer than that, so the work can be restored if needed by the authorities. This is, as rahaeli points out, a pretty inefficient way of handling things, but being inefficient is not a breach of the law

Rahaeli corrects themself in their own thread when they realise that COPPA does not apply to the specific type of non-profit AO3 is, so that's moot

The GDPR point is slightly more complicated. I'm not a lawyer, but I work in the finance industry in the UK handling massive quanities of personal data, so I am required by law to be trained on GDPR.

Email addresses are not automatically personal data under GDPR. They can be, but only if they contain other personal information. So if your email is brony47@gmail, that's not personal data. If it's john.smith@company it is, because it contains your wallet name and employer. So, while it's fairly unlikely when dealing with AO3 accounts belonging to under 13s, especially as school issued emails are basically never wallet names because they just deal with too many people for that to be sustainable, it is technically possible that retaining this info is a breach of GDPR.

However, even if AO3 was found to have breached GDPR, that would not result in the website being taken down with no warning or fics being purged. That's not how any of this works.

AO3 would face fines (I don't actually know how those fines work for non-profits, since they're usually a % of annual turnover - I assume donations would be treated as turnover for the ICO's purposes, but I may be wrong about that).

It's possible that fine could be steep enough that the archive couldn't meet server costs and would ultimately need to shut down, but the ICO do not possess the ability to shut the site down, and AO3 owns its own servers so if the worst happened and the archive shut down, they would have plenty of time to warn people. It would not just vanish, that's not what the ICO does.

(The specific affected account would be need to be deleted, but since it would already be suspended and invisible to users, that would not affect any end-users)

(Also the entire process of it going through the ICO and being debated to get to the point of the fine would probably take at least a year, this is a massive pan-european beauracratic body, it is not famous for its efficiency)

None of this is me saying rahaeli doesn't have valid points, or that reform isn't needed, generally I agree that it is, and I think rahaeli's suggestions about what to change sound reasonable, although I'm not an expert and not on either of the affect teams, so that's just some rando's opinion.

But the this post is not about that, this post is about people worrying about the archive being taken down, and again, that is not what is going on here!

TLDR; back up fics if you want, but AO3 is not in legal trouble, and even if it was, the type of legal trouble being discussed would not result in the entire archive just going down without prior warning

Additionally, since a few people mentioned this in tags and reblogs, AO3 is set up in such a way that there is almost no risk of a griffindor's tower 'mod infighting tanks the website' type situation. No one committee has that power, and the OTW has lost its entire board before now and AO3 continuted to function. (That's actually part of the cause of the problems being discussed, because decentralised power makes it resistant to infighting, but the pay off is that it's slow to change, because it requires a lot of different officers and other volunteers to work together)

[meams4u]

Ok it's becoming unavoidable.

The 2010s internet business model is failed, and it's very likely taking tumblr down with it. The good parts of this site are going to die.

There is an inherent disconnect between the best product/service and the most profitable product/service. However the assumption of correlation AND causation between these is at the core of capitalism.

I explain.

Booyah.

The business model which drives tumblr's decision making is the same as drove nearly all sites in the 2010s. There was so much reliable investor money, that sites could fully fund their costs and expand wildly without ever making a profit, or ever charging their users for a service. Their goal was the long game, offer something fun for free, get people hooked, become necessary for daily life; that if they could capture enough of a userbase, then that MUST be profitable at some point. How could a site with 50mil daily users not make money, right?

Well, there was enough money flowing in to prevent those questions from ever being seriously asked. Which is unfortunate, because the answer is no. YouTube, despite massive use, omnipresence, and so so many ads, doesn't make money. Gmail doesn't make money. They painted themselves into a corner by being free, and people are used to that. The status quo was always unsustainable. Employees cost money. Servers cost money. These bills were paid by willing investors in the past, but with little more userbase to conquer, what's bringing them in? Now websites are scrambling to maintain the cash flow necessary to stay alive, let alone improve.

Gmail, YouTube, Discord, Twitch all have mega profitable services bankrolling them for the sake of surveillance, but tumblr doesn't have that (neither do Reddit, Uber/Lyft, or Snapchat). Various buyers (Yahoo and others) have dumped cash on tumblr occasionally, but that's not going to keep happening. So what's the plan? Cutting costs will only guarantee a slow death and nonfunctioning website (Twitter). So tumblr must either increase revenue or fire everyone and shut down the site. I cannot stress enough that the status quo of a functioning website for free, cannot exist without someone dumping money on it.

Now finally I get to the main point 🎉

Have you ever spent hours mindlessly scrolling some app, bored the whole time, and at the end you feel like shit? According to our current system, this is your favorite app which you like using the most. Have you ever had a meaningful connection on a forum or witnessed perfect comedic timing in a reblog chain? Well unless you chose to spend hours experiencing these beautiful moments (oxymoron), then the system will interpret your enjoyment of those websites as far less. That is considered a bad website. The only metric currently used is eyeball time. This metric does not reflect user satisfaction.

This metric is used because it's a simple conversion from eyeballs to ad views to income. So eyeball time becomes the goal and social media sites become optimized towards quick-seratonin-hit addiction and features that trap rather than convincing user to choose to spend their time on a site. Why isn't the latter a good enough option? Because happy people don't choose to spend their days looking at ads.

And that's the heart of the issue. Humans are not happy when they're generating max profit. Capitalism is never satisfied with profit alone, it demands the greatest possible profit. And therefore capitalism demands systems which make us unhappy. This is tragically at the core of capitalism; the idea that consumer choice will direct companies to produce the best product. That the product which wins out must therefore be the best for consumers. But it's not true. It has never been true. It's why cigarette companies succeed while companies that make long-lasting cars fail.

Tumblr, with its features that encourage user interaction and discourage influencer culture, is more enjoyable and less profitable. Can they find a workforce of engineers who are just as talented and hard working as the Facebook engineers, but accept much lower salaries? Probably not. So what do they do? I expect they make things worse on purpose, and eek out some kind of survival. Remember the porn ban?

[landylachs]

Site Outage

Just learning there has unfortunately been a fire at the facility that hosts the servers my website is hosted on in NYC (as of 19 hrs ago). My websites and email are unfortunately down during this time.

This affects the following sites/email:

LizLiu.com (as well as the associated sketchblog)

Liz at LizLiu.com email

Duskbirds.com

LizLiu.com/ggundam (the G Gundam fan translation site)

Fire marshal & everyone involved are working to restore power safely, but there might be a delay if you are waiting on an email response from me. And, if you visit my sites and they aren't loading, this is why. Hopefully it's restored soon!

If you need to get in contact during the power outage, I have a Landylachs at gmail backup email address you can use. I'll also use this address to respond to existing email chains during the outage.

There is no ETA as of right now, but my webhost has historically had excellent uptime. I expect it will be up as soon as possible!

Thanks to all involved who are working to restore power safely!

[corbindavenport]

Taking another look at Mastodon

I talked a bit about Mastodon last year, right as the big migration from Twitter was underway. There's a lot that has changed since then, including some of my own opinions.

First, I'm getting the definitions out of the way. Mastodon is an open-source and federated social media network. "Federated" means it's made up of a bunch of independent but interconnected servers. Those servers use a protocol called ActivityPub to talk to each other, like how Gmail and Yahoo can send and receive emails between each other with IMAP. Other social media platforms use ActivityPub too, like PixelFed, which are collectively referred to as "the Fediverse."

According to FediDB, a service set up by PixelFed developer Daniel Supernault (dansup), there are somewhere around 7.5 million Mastodon accounts spread across over 12,000 servers. Roughly 1.2 million of those accounts are active users (have posted in the past month), which is down slightly from the start of the year. The last peak was in February 2023, when the platform was around 1.68 million active users.

That's only part of the puzzle, though. Other software like Misskey, PeerTube, Calckey, and PixelFed are part of the same larger Fediverse network, adding more users into the mix.

The most significant event this year so far for Mastodon and other Fediverse platforms has been Reddit's collapse, as it pushed through similar API lockdowns as Twitter. Reddit isn't quite as terrible as Twitter yet, but Reddit's CEO continuously saying the dumbest shit possible is not helping. Several Reddit communities are migrating to Lemmy and Kbin, both of which support ActivityPub, which means they are intercompatible with Mastodon and other Fediverse software.

If we look at FediDB again, Lemmy and Kbin are getting close to 100,000 active users, an increase of roughly 10x since the start of the month. That's pretty remarkable, especially considering both projects are far less mature than Mastodon and options for mobile apps are limited. It remains to be seen if we'll see Reddit app developers embrace these new platforms in the same way that some popular Twitter client developers did -- the only example I've seen so far is the Sync for Reddit developer working on a Lemmy client.

The next big event will likely be the launch of Meta's Twitter clone, which will probably be called "Threads," and is expected to use ActivityPub at some point. Whenever that happens, Meta's service will probably very quickly become the top server in the Fediverse ecosystem. Most of the responses to this have been in one of three camps: "this is a good thing because the Fediverse will have more users", "we should be cautious about this", and "Meta will ruin everything we've built and we're blocking them."

To be clear, that last option is usually referring to defederation: when a Mastodon/Fediverse server completely blocks all communication with a specific other server. If you're following someone on a server, and your admin defederates the server, you don't follow them anymore and can't re-follow them. This is a pretty frequent action with servers hosting illegal content or no user moderation. When the far-right social media platform Gab introduced ActivityPub support, pretty much every Mastodon server defederated with it.

I don't really know where I stand on defederating Meta's service, because we don't have all the details yet, but I can understand where people are coming from with an outright block. The Fediverse is full of people who have been pushed away or suddenly banned from Meta-owned platforms or other big social networks (LGBTQ+ people, journalists, sex workers, etc.), and those companies generally have moderation policies that are farther to the right of most Mastodon servers. It's not difficult to see a reality where user reports about posts and users on Meta's server might overwhelm Mastodon moderators, who then simply ban Meta's server instead of continuing to deal with its users. Meta also now officially allows COVID-19 misinformation, and isn't pushing back on election interference lies.

The discourse around Meta's platform, some other Fediverse drama, and the continued onboarding issues with Mastodon do make me think that Mastodon and other Fediverse platforms probably won't ever "go mainstream," which seemed more likely to me at the end of last year. There's a lot of people who completely zone out when you have to explain how servers work, or why you can't favorite a post without copying and pasting a link, or something else like that. I do still think a lot of the people raising those points are being disingenuous, and they aren't entirely the fault of the projects (you're working against years of learned behavior about centralized platforms), but that doesn't make them invalid.

However, I do think Mastodon and other Fediverse platforms are now set up for long-term success. The big migration from Twitter gave it more name recognition, a lot more apps, and support from mainstream social media tools like Buffer and WordPress Jetpack. If I'm a big company, organization, or news site, it's now so much easier to maintain a presence on Mastodon (and thus, the rest of the Fediverse) than it was a year ago. With tools like Buffer, Mastodon is just another button you click, right next to the Twitter and Facebook buttons. That's huge.

Right now, the Fediverse is basically the desktop Linux of social media. It's not mainstream, and probably won't ever be, but it's grown enough now that it can't be completely ignored anymore. Just like the Linux userbase, the Fediverse community leans more towards tech people, but there are also a lot of guys, gals, and non-binary pals on Mastodon who have other interests and are there because they just like the experience.

I'll miss the Twitter of the past, and I will miss a few very specific and small parts of Reddit, but it's so exciting to watch Mastodon and other federated social media adapt to the failure of centralized platforms. There's still a lot more work to be done, but if Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook are any indication, "going mainstream" isn't the right goal.

[girlhorrror]

please everyone help me into psychically willing gmail and or zoom servers to shut down if enough of us do it maybe it will work

[sathya32]

Understanding Cloud Computing: A Simple Guide

Understanding Cloud Computing: A Simple Guide

Have you ever wondered how you can store photos on your phone without running out of space or use apps like Gmail without downloading anything? The answer lies in cloud computing. It’s a game-changing technology that makes life easier by delivering services like storage, software, and processing power over the internet.

Let’s break it down into simple terms.

What Is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is like renting a powerful computer that you can access anytime, anywhere, without actually owning it. Instead of installing and running programs on your local computer, you use them online through “the cloud.”

The cloud is simply a network of servers located in data centers around the world. These servers store your data and run applications, making them accessible over the internet. Think of it as using someone else’s supercomputer for your tasks.

Why Is Cloud Computing Important?

Cloud computing has revolutionized how we work and live by making technology:

Accessible: You only need an internet connection to access cloud services.

Cost-effective: You pay only for what you use, reducing the need to buy expensive hardware.

Flexible: It lets you scale up (add more resources) or scale down based on your needs.

How Does Cloud Computing Work?

When you use a cloud service, your data and applications are stored on remote servers instead of your device. For example:

Uploading photos to Google Photos? They’re stored in Google’s cloud servers.

Watching a movie on Netflix? The movie is streamed from Netflix’s cloud.

The heavy lifting (like storing massive amounts of data or running complex calculations) happens on these servers, freeing up your device to do other things.

Types of Cloud Computing

There are three main types of cloud computing, based on what they offer:

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Provides basic computing resources like servers and storage. Example: Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Platform as a Service (PaaS): Offers tools to build, test, and deploy apps without managing the underlying infrastructure. Example: Google App Engine.

Software as a Service (SaaS): Delivers software applications over the internet. Example: Microsoft 365 or Zoom.

Everyday Examples of Cloud Computing

Emails: Services like Gmail store your emails in the cloud.

File Storage: Platforms like Dropbox and Google Drive let you store files online and access them anywhere.

Streaming: Netflix and Spotify use cloud servers to deliver movies and music on demand.

Benefits of Cloud Computing

Convenience: Access your data and apps from any device.

Security: Cloud providers invest heavily in protecting your data.

Collaboration: Work on documents in real time with tools like Google Docs.

Cloud computing has become an essential part of modern life. Whether you're a business storing data or an individual streaming videos, the cloud makes it all possible. It’s fast, efficient, and designed to make our lives easier.

So next time you save something “to the cloud,” remember: you’re not just saving space—you’re unlocking a world of possibilities!

[gromyb]

Understanding Single-Page Applications (SPAs) and Their Functionality

Introduction Single-page applications, or SPAs, have transformed web development, ushering in an era where websites behave more like applications, enabling instantaneous interactions and a fluid user experience. Unlike traditional sites, which load each page separately, SPAs deliver content within a single document. This technique gives a website the feel of a desktop app, enhancing user satisfaction and making interactions faster and more intuitive. With SPAs, modern web development has embraced an architecture that serves both developers and users, optimizing speed, adaptability, and experience. In this article, we will explore the foundation of SPAs, compare them with multi-page applications (MPAs), analyze their pros and cons, and review some top frameworks and successful examples.

1. Understanding Single-Page Applications (SPAs)

SPAs operate by initially loading a single HTML document and updating its content dynamically as the user interacts with it, rather than loading a new page each time. This allows real-time content updates without refreshing the entire page. Imagine the fluidity of a single-page application website like Gmail, where actions occur swiftly without reloading, delivering a seamless and immersive user experience.

SPAs primarily rely on JavaScript, with client-side rendering for responsive updates and, in some cases, server-side rendering for better SEO. They follow a unique architecture designed to maximize efficiency and reduce server load, making them a cornerstone in the toolkit of modern web developers. With SPAs, both the technical foundation and the end-user experience are enhanced, providing an ideal mix for responsive websites and single page app solutions.

2. Single-Page vs. Multi-Page Applications

Comparing SPAs and MPAs reveals key differences in functionality, user experience, and scalability. While SPAs are known for their fast interactions and minimized server requests, MPAs load fresh pages for each request, which can slow down navigation but supports larger datasets and complex architectures better.

In terms of loading, SPAs quickly load the framework once and use asynchronous data fetching to update content. MPAs, on the other hand, load individual pages and data independently. MPAs are often suited for sites with diverse content requirements, making them essential for large-scale projects where detailed data handling is critical, but the interaction doesn’t need to feel as instantaneous as single page apps.

3. Pros and Cons of Single-Page Applications

SPAs bring a mixed bag of benefits and challenges, making their selection heavily dependent on the website’s purpose.

3.1 Benefits of SPAs

Faster Loading & Responsive UI: With only one page to load, SPAs offer near-instant interactions, enhancing the responsiveness users expect from a single-page application website.

Caching & Stability: Once loaded, SPAs cache essential data, minimizing server requests and enhancing stability for users across various platforms.

Enhanced UX: The seamless flow of a single-page application website template creates a UX similar to a native application, maintaining user engagement.

Streamlined Development Cycles: SPAs enable modular development and quick debugging, speeding up development.

Cross-Platform Compatibility: SPAs are mobile-friendly, delivering an adaptive experience across devices.

3.2 Challenges of SPAs

Scalability Issues: Heavy client-side operations can cause lags, especially with high traffic.

Security Risks: SPAs are vulnerable to certain client-side security flaws.

SEO Limitations: With only one URL, SPAs face SEO challenges, which can affect organic reach.

Analytics Complexity: Tracking user behavior on SPAs can be challenging due to fewer page loads.

Navigation Limits: Due to a single page, SPAs may lack traditional navigation intuitiveness.

Heavy JS Dependency: SPAs rely heavily on JavaScript, which can lead to performance issues.

Memory Leaks: Some frameworks may face memory management challenges, especially with complex components.

4. Top Frameworks for Building SPAs

For developers, choosing the right framework is essential in SPA development. Let’s examine some popular frameworks tailored for single-page application websites.

Angular: Best for complex SPAs, Angular supports robust functionality and scalability.

React: Highly suited for real-time applications, supporting SEO features that can mitigate SPA-related SEO issues.

Vue.js: Lightweight and ideal for beginners, Vue.js is known for its simplicity and flexibility.

Aurelia: Offers compatibility with other frameworks, a choice for highly customizable projects.

Backbone.js: Efficient with smaller data loads, good for simple, high-performance SPAs.

Ember.js: Strong for complex, large-scale applications that need stable performance.

Knockout.js: Known for flexible UI components, making it effective for straightforward SPAs.

Meteor.js: Backed by community support, this framework is beginner-friendly.

Polymer.js: Allows custom HTML elements, giving developers creative freedom in design.

5. Examples of Single-Page Applications

Some successful SPAs illustrate how well this architecture can work for dynamic user interactions:

Gmail: Offers real-time email updates, a perfect example of SPA’s smooth experience.

Slack: Built with React, this app allows seamless messaging and team collaboration.

Trello: A task management tool with instant updates and collaborative project tracking.

Netflix: Uses SPA principles to create a continuous, user-focused content experience.

Grammarly: Provides real-time grammar corrections across various platforms, showcasing the flexibility of single-page application website templates.

Conclusion In summary, SPAs represent a leap forward in user experience, creating websites that perform more like apps, with fast load times and fluid interactions. However, selecting the right framework is crucial, as the architecture demands specific technical considerations. For those in search of SPA management tools, Adobe Experience Manager offers capabilities to streamline and enhance the SPA development process, ensuring the right balance between efficiency and user experience.

[govindhtech]

Project Shield Provides Free DDoS Protection To More Firms

Defending free speech against online threats

A free service called Project Shield protects websites pertaining to news, human rights, elections, underrepresented communities, the arts, and the sciences against DDoS attacks.

Powered by Google Cloud Armor and developed by Jigsaw and Google Cloud, Project Shield offers free, limitless defense against DDoS attacks, a kind of online assault that censors content by putting websites offline.

Project Shield’s activities

Prevent DDoS attacks on your website

Project Shield uses DDoS technologies and Google’s infrastructure to filter out harmful data. To keep your website operational in the event of a DDoS attack, its servers will block the malicious traffic.

Cut down on your traffic expenses

You can set up Project Shield to retrieve material from the servers of your website once and then offer a cached copy on subsequent requests. By doing this, possible DDoS attacks are absorbed and traffic to your servers is decreased.

Qualities

Unrestricted defense against sophisticated attacks

Google infrastructure is used by Project Shield to provide limitless protection against layer 3/4 and layer 7 assaults. Each site’s defense is automatically configured and customized.

Adaptable caching

It uses content caching to boost site performance, bolster DDoS defenses, and conserve bandwidth. When users publish updated content, they can choose to invalidate the cache.

Particular Defenses

For enhanced site security, Project Shield offers features like IP allow and deny lists and reCAPTCHA.

Site metrics in real time

With the use of Project Shield’s under-the-hood data, site traffic, mistake rates, and bandwidth savings can be quickly reviewed.

Google Project Shield

Google Cloud is announcing that Project Shield is broadening its eligibility requirements to include non-profit organizations that support the arts and sciences as well as organizations that represent underrepresented groups. DDoS is a regular component of attacks and censorship attempts that are frequently directed towards these kinds of organizations. These newly qualified enterprises can now use Project Shield to protect their websites against DDoS attacks at no cost.

The same mechanisms that safeguard Google

Google Cloud Networking and its worldwide front-end solution serve as the foundation for Project Shield. It combines the global front-end with Google Cloud Load Balancing, Cloud CDN, and Cloud Armor and is run by Google Cloud in collaboration with Jigsaw. Together, this solution and its supporting technologies can prevent assaults, cache your information, and deliver it from various locations throughout Google’s edge network.

Google’s core services, such as Gmail, Maps, and Search, are protected by the same teams and on the same infrastructure as this protection.

Every solution that makes up Project Shield is crucial to safeguarding its clients. Google Cloud Load Balancing helps improve performance and enable scalable worldwide traffic controls by serving your traffic from Google’s global network. By doing this, you may improve the speed and dependability of users connecting to your website from around the globe. It can activate extra defenses like Cloud Armor and Cloud CDN after your traffic is handled by a cloud load balancer.

No matter where the backend is located, Cloud Armor keeps your website safe and operational by reducing attack traffic at the edge of Google’s infrastructure. The same protections that safeguard its biggest enterprise clients are used by Adaptive Protection, which analyzes your traffic using machine learning to identify and stop assaults.

By using rate limits that are specifically adjusted for your website, Project Shield improves security without preventing legitimate visitors or search engines from accessing it. When malicious traffic is detected, these proactive defenses take immediate action and frequently ban attackers within the first few seconds.

Because Cloud CDN offers caching, traffic can resolve at Google’s network edge, providing your backend a respite. When millions of attackers transmit what appears to be a typical volume of bandwidth, this can help protect against broad, shallow DDoS attacks. Your website’s cacheable material can help users access it more quickly and ease the strain on your hosting servers. Caching may significantly lessen the strain on your servers and help keep your website up and running during valid surges, such when your website goes popular, or during a significant event, like election day.

Through the Google Cloud dashboard, any company may directly access these services, which can be configured and tailored to safeguard any kind of workload not just those that qualify for Project Shield. With this guidance, organizations not qualified for Project Shield can nevertheless benefit from the same Cloud Networking technologies that underpin Project Shield.

Now Protect yourself

DDoS is a serious risk that can bring down your service without any special access or compromise. Organizations from any of the Project Shield-eligible categories are encouraged to register at g.co/shield. Reviewing an application often takes a few hours, but it may take several business days. In a matter of minutes, authorized organizations can set up Project Shield protection for their websites.

Read more on Govindhtech.com

[alexandraisyes]

in regards to Kofi how does it work for money? and is hiding my irl name and Gmail a option if it's open?

Kofi offers a few different services for creators, so I'll just break it down real quick.

One time payments: Donations of any amounts, a lot of artists also use this as an option for people to pay for commissions advertized on their social media platforms

Kofi Shop: Selling physical or digital items (Merch, files, etc)

Commissions: Selling different tiers of commissions

Memberships: Recurring monthly payment for exclusive goods/services/content

I've been using Kofi for about a year now, I have never once seen someone's legal name or email address, but I've also never used the membership option, only donations, shop and the commissions page. Options for all three of those payment wise are Paypal, Venmo, and card as far as I'm aware.

I don't use Stripe, because when I was using them they were fucking robbing me, so the only option for my membership tier (3 USD) is Paypal, so you'll need a Paypal account.

What I am reading as far as anonymity for memberships from the Kofi website is that memberships are dealt with by the payment providers, and they (Kofi) cannot control what information the providers display. So what they're advising if you want to stay anonymous and get a kofi membership to support a creator is to use Paypal and open a business account (this is free) to purchase a Kofi membership, because you can customize the name of your "business" to be your brand/account name.

Either way, I strongly encourage that you only do what you're comfortable with. I have exactly 0 interest in people's personal information, and I have 100+ people who can vouch that since part of running my servers is checking people's IDs to give them access to certain categories/channels.

TL;DR Yes hiding your irl name is an option for memberships

Also, this is what I mean when I say I've never seen someone's IRL name or email address when I've received support on Kofi. This is literally all the information I've ever seen and ever clicking into it doesn't show me anything other than their Kofi username so I can only assume that's what will happen since that's what's always happened.

(Sorry for using u as an example @chibigeekie-blog but someone needed to be sacrificed /silly)

[khayalonsebunealfaz]

Embrace the Future: Exploring the Power and Potential of Cloud Computing 

Cloud computing has emerged as a meaningful change in today's quickly expanding technology landscape, transforming the way individuals and organizations manage and use IT resources. The flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness that come with having access to computing power, storage, and apps via the internet instead of local servers or personal devices are unmatched. This article explores the fundamentals of cloud computing, as well as its advantages, important models, and potential applications going forward. 

Understanding Cloud Computing 

Cloud computing refers to the delivery of numerous services over the internet, including data storage, servers, databases, networking, and software. The "cloud" symbolizes the internet, and the technology enables users to access and store data on remote servers rather than on local hard drives or servers. This shift from traditional on-premises IT infrastructure to cloud-based services offers several advantages. 

Key Benefits of Cloud Computing 

1. Cost Efficiency: 

One of the primary advantages of cloud computing is cost efficiency. Businesses no longer need to invest heavily in physical infrastructure, hardware, and maintenance. Cloud service providers offer a pay-as-you-go model, allowing companies to pay only for the resources they use. This model significantly reduces capital expenditure and operational costs. 

2. Scalability and Flexibility: 

Cloud computing provides unmatched scalability and flexibility. Businesses can quickly scale up or down based on their needs without worrying about over-provisioning or under-provisioning resources. This flexibility is crucial for managing varying workloads and meeting the demands of peak periods. 

3. Accessibility and Collaboration: 

With cloud computing, data and applications are accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. This accessibility promotes collaboration, as teams can work together in real-time, regardless of their geographical location. Cloud-based tools and platforms facilitate seamless communication and project management. 

4. Disaster Recovery and Data Backup: 

Cloud service providers typically offer robust disaster recovery and data backup solutions. In the event of hardware failure, natural disasters, or cyberattacks, businesses can quickly restore their data and resume operations. This resilience is critical for maintaining business continuity. 

5. Security: 

Contrary to common concerns, cloud computing can enhance security. Reputable cloud providers invest heavily in security measures, including encryption, firewalls, and regular security audits. They also ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations, offering a higher level of security than many on-premises solutions. 

Cloud Computing Models 

1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): 

IaaS provides virtualized computing resources over the internet. It offers fundamental infrastructure such as virtual machines, storage, and networks. Users can rent these resources on a pay-as-you-go basis. Popular IaaS providers include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). 

2. Platform as a Service (PaaS): 

PaaS offers a platform that allows developers to build, deploy, and manage applications without worrying about underlying infrastructure. It provides tools and services for application development, including operating systems, databases, and development frameworks. Examples of PaaS providers are Heroku, Google App Engine, and Microsoft Azure. 

3. Software as a Service (SaaS): 

SaaS delivers software applications over the internet on a subscription basis. Users can access these applications through web browsers, eliminating the need for installation and maintenance. Common SaaS applications include customer relationship management (CRM) systems like Salesforce, email services like Gmail, and productivity tools like Microsoft Office 365. 

The Future of Cloud Computing 

1. Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Strategies: 

As businesses continue to leverage cloud computing, many are adopting hybrid and multi-cloud strategies. A hybrid cloud combines on-premises infrastructure with cloud services, offering the best of both worlds. Multi-cloud strategies involve using services from multiple cloud providers to avoid vendor lock-in and enhance redundancy. 

2. Edge Computing: 

Edge computing is an emerging trend that complements cloud computing. It involves processing data closer to its source, at the "edge" of the network, to reduce latency and improve performance. This is particularly important for applications requiring real-time processing, such as IoT devices and autonomous vehicles. 

3. AI and Machine Learning Integration: 

Cloud computing is driving the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into various applications. Cloud platforms offer AI and ML services that enable businesses to build intelligent applications without investing in specialized hardware. This democratization of AI and ML is accelerating innovation across industries. 

4. Enhanced Security Measures: 

As cyber threats evolve, cloud providers are continuously enhancing their security measures. Advanced encryption, zero-trust architectures, and AI-driven security analytics are some of the innovations ensuring that cloud environments remain secure. Businesses can expect even more robust security features in the future. 

5. Sustainable Cloud Solutions: 

With increasing awareness of environmental impact, cloud providers are focusing on sustainability. Green cloud computing initiatives aim to reduce the carbon footprint of data centers through energy-efficient practices and renewable energy sources. This shift towards eco-friendly cloud solutions aligns with global sustainability goals. 

Conclusion: 

The IT environment has been completely changed by cloud computing, which provides many advantages such increased security, scalability, affordability, and accessibility. Businesses using cloud technology should anticipate more advancements and developments that will shape the cloud computing landscape in the future. AI and edge computing to hybrid and multi-cloud techniques integration, the possibilities are vast. By leveraging cloud computing, businesses can stay competitive, agile, and prepared for the challenges of tomorrow. Embrace the future with cloud computing and unlock the full potential of your digital transformation journey.