Category Archives: User Experiences

Moving forward in the PC Webization process

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As many of us are defending, and  many of us are heavily criticizing (ex: blog 1,blog 2), the process of PC webization will be one of the greatest achievements of the Cloud Computing paradigm. Despite the fact that we can’t even call it a process, in my perspective, a process must be something with a well defined starting and with an predictable ending point, preferable with a developing plan or study. The PC webization is already happening, and  directly or indirectly, is already potentiating great technological developments.
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Can he live in the cloud for more than one week?

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Don’t know about you guys, but I’m looking forward to see what Christopher Dawson will write after he spends one week living in the cloud and if he will remain in the cloud or return to his normal e-mail client and word documents saved in his hard drive. This is an interesting experience because he will tell us, from his experience, if the online scaled down versions of software like Office and others are sufficient (and maybe even better) for most documents we write.

The Internet command prompt and (maybe) the Internet clipboard

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With the Cloud Computing Paradigm, at least until recent developments, we have only worked with already existing technologies. Most of all, what Cloud Computing paradigm adds is the great feature of concentrating everything in a articulated and integrated way.

To be able to add real value to the Cloud Computing products and solutions we must innovate,  not only in the infrastructural technologies, but also in those who will have direct impact in user experience.  In the time being we already have interoperability technologies,  Identity Management and authorization platforms, great developing tools and deployment platforms, etc, etc.  And what about new functionalities, features that will add real value and will be able to create new kind of user experience? In a recent post Pedro has introduced interesting points about how the Cloud will expand or grow, but I think that we could start by simpler examples.
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Why Google loves the Beta tag and why Beta is bad for Cloud Computing.

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As you can see in the following image, Google has changed again this week the Gmail toolbar. As usual these changes have enhanced the interface and have added nice functionalities.

gmail_new_toolbar

Despite the fact that the added features were in users direct benefit, I think that Google has to start creating a different method to deploy these changes or applications “upgrade”. The method that nowadays they use  is based on the fact that all their sofware has a special beta tag, therefore, their software is still in development.  With this special tag they change everything they want and when they want.

This is like having an IT administrator who is always making software upgrade during the night (without previous notification). And when you arrive in the morning, to start your work, you have always to start by questioning: “Where is the functionality that I need, I almost swear that it was in this menu before I left yesterday”. Then, after a coffee and a talk with your co-workers, you finally realize that your software was upgraded and that the functionality that your are looking for is now in a different menu.

As we cannot accept this kind of method in our IT department, we also shouldn’t accept it in the Cloud Computing ecosystem. I think that it is time for Google to change its methods of software upgrade. We must also stop the Beta tag virus, it’s spread  all over the cloud, and unfortunately, is continuing to spread.

Cloud it or not to Cloud it: how much time is needed to move to the Cloud?

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My friend Sérgio has a problem. He wants to have more control over his monthly budget. And to be able to achieve his goal  he has developed a very nice, simple, but very powerful spreadsheet application. But that was not enough: to be able to effectively manage his finances he had to be able to access to his application on a regular basis. So, how will he be able to do that? He has several computers and even a Nokia with a spreadsheet application (and a web browser). Where will he  put his application and how could he have it accessible every time and everywhere?

After infinite hours of brainwash about Cloud Computing and its amazing capabilities, Sérgio decided that this was the opportunity to try it. So he did it, he decided to use Google Docs, and  without any real faith, he uploaded the application (excel spreadsheet file). After a few seconds, there he was, using Cloud Computing with its full power…

This was a short post, and it only took a few seconds to read. It took almost the same time that Sérgio had to wait to use Cloud Computing. So, what are you waiting for?

I hope that you won’t wait as much as Gartner Consulting is proposing. They are saying that Cloud computing will not be at its full power until 2015. As you can see this is not exactly truth, Sérgio is already taking benefit of Cloud Computing. I’m another example, I’m using cloud-enabled applications in my daily work, and I can say that I’m taking real benefit from its utilization.  For more details about how this statement from Gartner Consulting is valued please follow the Cloud Computing Google Groups discussion pushed by Greg Pfister.

For more complex and detailed stories about the efforts to use Cloud Computing please read the Rick Mahn experiences.