Quote - > Quote - im absolutely repulsed by cloud computing.

Don't equate cloud computing with cloud storage. Not saying you were, but the subject of this thread is storage, not computing. We'll be doing the rendering (computing) locally, from local copies of files, even if the runtime is replicated in the cloud.

Personally, I have already had the satisfaction of a dead computer replaced in minutes because all my important files were in DropBox. It took me zero effort to recreate "My Documents" when I got my new machine. All I did was install DropBox, enter my user id and password, and all my files re-appeared. Poof.

 

its both, actually.  cloud computing repulses me due to ideological, privacy, freedom and security reasons.

but my main issue with cloud storage is the fact that not everyone has unlimited bandwidth.  by 2012, theres no reason we shouldnt - yet as each year goes by, bandwidth caps/restrictions/fair use policies get more and more restrictive, and overages more and more ridiculous.  all i see are attempts by ISPs to charge more and more for b/w each year. in fact the Canadian govt just quashed a bill that was almost passed that would have made unlimited internet a thing of the past here.

my latest product has over 10 gigs of (compressed) WIP files. what should i do with that? upload it to a cloud? i can just burn it to a couple DVDs or a BD for $1 - by the time i need to worry about disc rot, the data on it will be obsolete.  my only concern is if my house burns down - which is why i keep some copies of important data such as family photos, documents, etc in a safety deposit box offsite (which came free with my bank account).

contacts, small files/documents, etc i need to access from elsewhere can be stored in the GMAIL 'cloud' - which is about as far as i personally want to go with cloud computing.

right now im on mobile broadband with a very low monthly cap and extremely high overages. now i dont intend to be in this situation forever, and am eager to get back onto unlimited internet - there are still many areas where this is not a possibility.  also keep in mind that many of you are in the US, but Poser users are international - so when considering cloud runtimes we are talking about the entire world. not everyone has access to inexpensive, unlimited internet.  internet access is cheap in some countries, astronomically expensive in others.

i just went through my runtime and deleted all of the bloat - anything i havent used in years, or default content i didnt need, etc i deleted. i have it trimmed down to 3 gigs and over 10k files. thats still a lot of data to access remotely.  many people have runtimes over 10 gigs.

when im traveling im not going to be rendering on a smartphone. a laptop? well, i can just copy the runtime over in a couple minutes, or even put it on a USB stick or drive.
so what benefit would a cloud runtime have for me? none, really.  but it would open the door for more ridiculous licensing/profiteering schemes from content providers.  im not a renter/leaser. i prefer to buy things outright, and own them unconditionally and be in full control of them.  when i buy something its mine, and you have no right to take it back, change the conditions of the agreement, the prices, the terms of use, etc - or have any say in how/when/where i use that product.  cloud runtimes would put you in a position where you would lose this control/absolute ownership.