Reconciling Two Views of Cloud Computing

June 2, 2021

I think it would be helpful to read “The Cost of Cloud, a Trillion Dollar Paradox.” The write up is an MBA team effort, and it makes what I think is an interesting point. The cloud makes sense when a company is small and doing the “go fast, break things” stuff. But as the company becomes larger, the cloud becomes expensive and slaps handcuffs on the customer. The MBAs may not agree with my précis, but it works okay for me.

Then read “Atlassian Claims It’s a Step Closer to Achieving Nirvana with Its Data.” The main point of the essay to that centralizing cloud work is better, faster, and all around more wonderful than the multi-cloud thing. I winced at the use of the word “nirvana.” Amazon AWS and nirvana don’t fit together like peanut butter and chocolate or pinga and salt. (Nirvana, I think, means according to Google’s recycling of the Oxford “languages”

transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject is released from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth.

That’s AWS for sure.

Both articles are marketing material. The a16z piece makes it clear that the firm’s analysts are on the ball. I think the message is, “We’re on the ball. We put money where it will really pay off.” The Ziff story is a marketing tchotchke, and it is designed to send a specific message about the freedom from suffering, desire, etc. associated with the use of AWS services.

What’s the nitty gritty?

Marketing, not analysis nor personal experience, has become the payload of what appears to be technical relevant information. This is a good thing, right. Perfect for home economics and political science majors who wrangle jobs in or around technology.

Lock in and cost control are not difficult concepts in my opinion. Pick one. Nirvana is near.

Stephen E Arnold, June 2, 2021

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